Out of Luck
by ForeverHappens
Summary: One-night-stands. They all happen, eventually, and we hope they don't come back to haunt us. Well, for Mikan, this one-night-stand was... interesting in a completely twisted way. Now she just wishes that nothing will lead to the other. But with her luck, that seemed like a long-shot.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! So I'm back with a new story, sort of lol. I just wanted to say thank you for all your support on my previous ones. You guys are the reason why I keep on writing :)**

**Anyway, I've had this story for a while, wrote the first few chapters a while back and I was feeling inspired to continue it. I just had this idea then wrote some chapters, and I didn't really know what to do with it. So I really wanted your guys' opinion, so I decided to post the first chapter and let me know what you think or if you want me to continue it and make into a story.**

**IMPORTANT NOTE: THIS STORY IS DIFFERENT FROM MY PREVIOUS ONES. I WANTED TO STEP OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE AND TRY DIFFERENT WRITING STYLES. SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS, THIS STORY CONTAINS MATURE THEMES (LANGUAGE, SEX, ETC.) BUT DON'T WORRY IT'S STILL RATED 13. BUT IF YOU'RE NOT INTO THAT, IT'S OKAY, AND MAYBE THIS ISN'T FOR YOU. BUT I HOPE YOU GUYS STILL GIVE IT A CHANCE BECAUSE I WORKED REALLY HARD ON IT.**

**That's it. Thanks ilysm x**

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><p>I woke up feeling disoriented. My head was pounding and the room smelt... different. I opened my eyes, slowly and examined my surroundings. The room had plain white walls, and it was neat. Too neat, that it obviously wasn't my room. There was a study table right across the bed, which had a few items on the desk, namely a laptop, a few textbooks and a notebook. Jesus, who one earth could keep a study table so neat? Then, it hit me. I froze as realization came over me like a tidal wave. I knew exactly whose room this was. Hoping that what I was thinking didn't happen (which seemed less likely), I glanced beside me and saw a sleeping figure. He was lying on his stomach, with no shirt on, his blanket covering half of his body. So I could definitely see his toned back, which had a couple of scratch marks on them. And I knew for sure, I was fucked, literally and figuratively.<p>

I just slept with my friend's younger brother.

I slept with Natsume Hyuuga.

There was no denying it. I checked under the blankets and for sure, we were both naked. "Shit," I whispered, to myself, wondering how on earth could I have been so goddamn stupid. But on my defense, it was Aoi's twenty-first birthday party last night and she held it in this house, and it had been so long since I let loose so I decided I would make the best of last night. But I had no idea I would end up sleeping with her brother, who was two years younger than me! Now that you think about it, two years isn't such a long gap, but Natsume was eighteen, and I was turning twenty-one in the fall. And besides, he was off-limits. Everyone knows you can't date your friends' siblings. Let alone have sex with them! Oh my God, if Aoi found out, she would kill me.

There was no time to waste. Natsume was still sleeping soundly next to me, so I got out of the bed as quietly as I could, and looked for my clothes. I managed to find my top, bra and skirt (which was thrown on his study table chair), but my underwear was nowhere to be found. Fuck, of all the things I could leave, it would be my underwear. God knows where Natsume could have thrown that thing, but I didn't care now. I got dressed as quickly as possible, grabbed my purse, which was under the bed, and left the room as quietly as possible.

I prayed to God that nobody in this house would be awake or else I might just loose it. Thankfully when I checked the time on phone, it was only 10:30 in the morning, and I knew for sure Aoi wouldn't get up until noon whenever she had these parties. As I did the walk of shame, I noticed that this house was a complete mess. I kind of felt sorry for leaving Aoi to clean up, but it was crucial that I escape this screwed up situation as soon as possible. So when I finally stepped out the door, and ran safely back to my car, I couldn't be more relieved.

But with my luck, things would start messing up again, eventually.

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><p>"Oh my God, who did you fuck last night?"<p>

This was my greeting when I arrived at the restaurant with my friends for dinner. Everyone was there, Hotaru, Anna, Nonoko, Sumire, and even Aoi, who so kindly asked me this question.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said, sitting down with them. I made a show of looking at the menu so they won't talk to me. But when you're the last to arrive at a gathering, and haven't been heard of since last night, then the pestering of questions was inevitable.

"Oh come on, Mikan," Sumire said. "It's so obvious. You have this weird glow, and no one has heard from you since Aoi's party. Plus, you have a hickey on your neck, which you have attempted to cover with concealer, but didn't do much of a pretty good job because that concealer is two times lighter than your skin tone. So, spill."

Damn, and I thought I could get away with it. Fortunately, I've thought of a good cover up story, and I was a pro at lying. No joke. The only person who would tell whenever I lie is Hotaru, who has been my longest friend. We've known each other since kids, while the rest of the gang I've met in high school and have been friends with through college. But Hotaru wasn't paying attention to me at the moment, she was busy with her phone, so this was the best time to bluff.

"Okay," I sighed in defeat. "You caught me. I had a one-night-stand."

"I knew it," Sumire exclaimed. "You dirty little slut. Who was it?"

Everyone was looking at me now, including Hotaru, so I knew it had to fake this real good. One thing's for sure I couldn't look Aoi directly in the eye, because I was too ashamed. No way in hell was she going to find out about what happened.

"Honestly, I don't even know," I said in an even tone. Whenever I lie, my voice always rises up a little. Which, is the same when I get excited and when I talk normally. So that's why people never really figure out if I'm really lying. But like I said, Hotaru was good at detecting lies. Don't ask me how. It's not only with me, but with other people too.

"What?" Anna gasped. "You slept with someone you didn't even know?"

Anna was one of those what they call, "hopeless romantics" so the thought of a one-night-stand was appalling to her. But in all honesty, I never even wanted a one-night-stand nor dreamed about one. I just wanted to have fun last night, but since I'm like a magnet for bad luck, I ended up sleeping with my friend's off-limits brother instead.

I shrugged, like it wasn't a big deal. "I was drunk. Like really drunk. It doesn't matter anyway. It's over."

"Did you do the walk of shame?" Nonoko asked.

"Yup." Finally, I get to answer truthfully to one question.

"But wait," Aoi said, "there wasn't anyone at my house anymore when I woke up."

Shit. Think of something, Mikan.

"That's because I woke up early," I explained, with a straight face. "Like around nine. And I left right away. He might have woken up before you did and left too."

She nodded, considering this. "I suppose. But Mikan, this is so unlike you. I thought you'd be upset or something."

"Why would I be upset?"

"Because you don't do hookups," Sumire said.

I shrugged. "Well, there's a first time for everything. Besides, I think I really needed to get laid. It's been a while."

Okay, that last part was definitely true. Thank God I wasn't a virgin anymore, or else it would be really hard to hide my regret. The last time I had sex was freshman year of college, with my ex-boyfriend whom I've dated since Junior year in high school. But we didn't work out since he had to move to another country, and all the drama that went with that. So literally it's been three years. Which is pretty sad, to be honest. But I never really liked hooking up with random people, not because I was like Anna, but I just didn't like dealing with the awkwardness of "The Next Morning." In fact, I just hated confrontations, period. I was a passive aggressive person, and Hotaru says that because of that, one of these days I was going to explode like a volcano. And with what happened recently, I'm pretty sure that day is right around the corner.

"Well congratulations," Sumire said, smirking, "you are now a certified slut. Come one guys, let's have a toast for Mikan."

And sure enough my friends raised their wineglasses and clinked them with one another, as they said, "To one-night-stands."

Sometimes, I wonder why I'm even friends with these people in the first place.

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><p>Thank God it was Sunday the next day, because I was so not ready for work yet. I finished college a little early because I was an art major, and that only required three years in my case. It was a good thing I landed on a job right away, which was an art teacher for kids at my university, and that was how I was able to rent this apartment. I loved my job. I loved being able to interact with kids who were interested in the same things that I was. It was a good thing my mom has always been supportive of me, and I was glad that she had no problem with me moving out so early. We were pretty close, since it has always been just the two of us, because I had no idea who my dad was. But I wasn't really bothered by that. I had a happy childhood, nonetheless. And living by myself definitely has its perks. Like being able to wake up anytime you want to (except when I have work), and being able to walk around naked. Yep, I was living the dream.<p>

I was cuddled up in my bed, thinking about going back to sleep again, when my phone rang. I groaned, and reached out to my bedside drawer and answered it.

"Hello?" I said, groggily.

"Glad to hear you're awake."

I jolted up from my bed immediately. Oh, I was awake alright. I looked at the caller i.d., and sure enough it was the devil himself calling.

"What do you want, Hyuuga?" I asked. I haven't actually thought about that incident for almost twenty-four hours now. And I was already willing to put it all behind me, that is if he didn't call me right at this moment. See, this was why I hated one-night-stands. Some people just don't understand the concept of hooking up and never hearing from each other again.

"I just have something of yours that you left behind when we—"

"Do not say it," I said through my teeth. "Whatever that is, you sure as hell can keep it. I don't fucking care."

He chuckled deeply. "I knew you'd say that. But I'm sure you'd want to be able to eat, because you left your wallet, sweetheart."

"What?" I leaped out of bed frantically, and looked for my purse that I used at Aoi's party. Sure enough, my wallet was nowhere to be found. Last night at dinner it was Aoi's treat, so I didn't even bother bringing my purse. Or checking if everything was still in place. Typical me.

"You heard me. So what's it gonna be? I'm coming over or are you..."

"No way in hell are you stepping foot in my apartment." I sighed. "I'll be there in half an hour."

"Great. See you then, sweetheart. Oh and Mikan?"

"What?" I said, exasperatedly.

"I had a great time the other night." Then, he hung up.

Son of a bitch. I guess having Natsume as a one-night-stand was probably the worst mistake I've ever made in my life. Well, due to the fact that it's impossible that we not see each other again considering that he is one of my close friends' brother.

Ever since Aoi and I became friends in high school, Natsume was already flirting with me. I thought it was cute though, because he was still a kid back then. Over the years, I thought he'd get tired of me. But out of all Aoi's girl friends, I was the only one whom he kept on annoying. I didn't have a fucking clue why. But recently, it felt different. Me and him. Since he's all grown up now, his jokes towards me became a little more... sexual I guess, that I sometimes I could literally taste the tension. And for some weird reason, I didn't find it creepy. In fact, I found it really hot. Like wetting my panties hot. And I know it's wrong, not to mention inappropriate since he was Aoi's little brother. But God, puberty really hit him like a firetruck. He was so hot now, that he could pass as twenty years old. And if it weren't for that, my damn hormones wouldn't be so excited every time he walks into the room. But of course, I couldn't let him know that I actually liked it whenever he flirted with me, so things like what happened at Aoi's party would never happen ever again. But alas, the damage has been done. To be honest, I kind of felt disappointed that I didn't remember everything that happened. All I remembered was that he was so good, and I loved every single second of it. And that is why going over to his house right now is a very bad idea. If I was rich, I wouldn't give a shit about that wallet. But I'm not, so I don't have a damn choice.

* * *

><p>"Mikan!" Aoi said, surprisingly. "What are you doing here?"<p>

I entered her house, and found Natsume walking by the staircase upstairs. He smirked at me, and showed me my wallet, then walked away. That fucking asshole.

"Um, I kind of left something here the night of your party," I told Aoi. "I just realized I lost it now. Do you mind if I look for it now?"

"Sure, no problem. Do you want me to help? Maybe I accidentally kept it somewhere while cleaning?"

"No that's okay," I said, quickly. "Um, I think I know where I left it." I glanced upstairs, and saw Natsume enter the bathroom. Now was my chance. "Do you mind if I use the bathroom? I drank like two glasses of orange juice before I went here."

Did I mention I tend to ramble a little, whenever I lied?

"Uh, sure," Aoi said. "You can use the one upstairs."

"Thanks!"

I half-ran up the stairs desperate to get this over with. And sure enough, when I got to the bathroom, the bastard was there, washing his hands. I closed the door and locked it.

Natsume grinned in the mirror. "Wow, eager to get me alone? You even locked the door."

I rolled my eyes at him and crossed my arms over my chest. "So your sister doesn't come in here, genius. Now give me my damn wallet back."

"You mean this?" He held up my black Michael Kors wrislet that I've saved up for for a long time. I'm pretty sure there wasn't that much cash in there, and yes I found the wallet more valuable.

I immediately reached for it, but he pulled his arm back over his head, making it impossible for me to reach it. Like I said, puberty hit him hard. Damn his six-foot-five height.

"Give it back, Natsume," I said.

He smiled, cockily. "You think I'm gonna give it back to you so easily?"

I glared at him. "Look, asshole. I'm tired as fuck and I planned on sleeping in today, and if it weren't for you I would still be in bed under my warm blankets. Now give the damn wallet back."

Natsume chuckled before he put his arm down. I immediately grabbed my wallet and checked its contents. Yep, I still had lunch.

"You know," Natsume said leaning into my ear, "you're really hot when you're mad."

His hot breath sent shivers down my spine, as I took an involuntary step backwards. Oh God, it was happening again. He was working his manly charm on me and I was falling for it.

I wasn't able to muster a reply, and he took this chance to walk towards me, while I walked backwards feeling the bathroom door behind me.

"Actually," he continued, "I already have a souvenir from that night."

I was confused as to what he meant. He reached behind from his back pocket, then took out something red and lacy, that I was very much familiar with. I felt all color drain from my face as I realized what it was.

It was my underwear. Holy shit.

"W-where did you get that?" I managed to say.

He chuckled. "You left it, sweetheart. I have to say, I was pretty disappointed when I woke up and you weren't there the next morning. But then all was good when I found this under my pillow."

Under his pillow. Shit, that's why I couldn't find it that morning. I reached for it, but then he pulled it back from me again.

"I don't think so," he breathed. "This one's mine now. But if you want it back, you're gonna have to do something for me."

Oh God, I think I knew where this was going. "Listen, Hyuuga. If you're asking me for a 'round two' then you are sadly mistaken. I mean you're eighteen for God's sake. I'm sure you understand how a one-night-stand works. We get drunk, we fuck, I leave the next morning, and we never see each other again. Simple as that. What's so hard about it?"

He smirked. "Oh but I wasn't entirely drunk. I remember everything clearly. And even if you were drunk, I was sure you also remembered every single detail."

Oh my fucking God. Now that just made it a billion times worse.

"I don't even remember half of it," I muttered.

He cocked an eyebrow. "Oh really? You don't remember screaming my name when I—"

I clamped my hand over his mouth. "You just stop right there, Hyuuga." I felt him smile, and I pulled my hand back. "Look, what clearly happened was a mistake, and I never should have gotten that drunk. This can, and will never happen again, do you hear me? Clearly, we're still going to run into each other because I'm friends with your sister. But that's it. No more weird staring, obnoxious flirting, and sexual innuendos. You got that?"

I was pretty sure I got through him, because for half a second he just looked at me. Then, that cocky smile returned.

"Actually, I'm pretty sure we're going to see more of each other very soon."

I was about to ask him what he meant by that, but then he leaned towards me, and I was sure he was going to kiss me. But then I heard the bathroom door unlock, and being opened.

"'Til next time, Mikan," he whispered in my ear.

"Hey, what took you so long?"

I jumped at the sound of Aoi's voice. I was still pretty much in a daze after that talk with Natsume. Aoi was standing at the top of the stairs, an amused expression on her face.

"You didn't take a shit in there, did you?" she asked, grinning.

"What? Of course not!" My voice was noticeably higher, even if I was telling the truth.

"I was looking for my wallet, and now I found it," I said, showing her my wrislet.

She arched an eyebrow. "It was in the bathroom?"

"I know, weird huh?"

"Well, we're talking about you here, so I guess that's normal."

I laughed, noticing a little bit of hysteria in there, but Aoi didn't notice. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Listen, I've gotta go, okay? But thanks for um, your bathroom."

She laughed. "Anytime, Mikan."

As I drove away from the Hyuugas' house, I couldn't help but still feel a little bit shaken up. But not in a bad way. I kept on thinking about Natsume being so close to me, and how I thought he'd kiss me. I shook my head, aggressively. No way was I letting him affect me like this. Not anymore. From now on, I had to stop thinking about that sexy creature, and that night. Tomorrow, it would be like this weekend never happened.

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><p><strong>I told you guys it would be a little different. So how was that for a first chapter? I actually had fun writing this.<strong>

**But if some of you didn't like it, please don't send hate. I know this isn't for everybody, but I'd appreciate it if you left constructive criticisms instead. Please, please do let me know what you guys think because I really love reading your reviews. **

**Chapter 2 is already written. I'll post it as soon as I'm done editing it. **

**Love you guys x**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! As promised here is chapter 2. I'm so happy you guys like the first chapter. Now, I think I'm really going to turn this into a story. **

**So this is a pretty short chapter, but it kind of hints what will happen further in the story. And also, I had to put some more things here about Mikan. Hope you like it!**

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><p>My mom was dating someone.<p>

In the past, my mom always had a series of bad relationships, and that's why she didn't date for a while. For a couple of years, actually. But now, she looked happy and glowing, and it was the first I've seen her like this. Which, kind of creeped me out at first, because she just barged in my apartment with a bag of groceries one weekend while I was enjoying my afternoon nap (yes, sleeping is my most favorite thing in the world), and started dancing around in my kitchen.

"Mom, what are you doing?" I'd asked, still groggy from my nap. I loved my mom to death, but like I said, sleeping is my favorite thing to do, and I really get cranky when I'm woken up from it. My mom always did these unexpected visits, because she secretly hopes that she would find a guy in my apartment and thinks she caught me of guard. Well joke's on her, because ever since I've moved here a year ago, I haven't had any guy in apartment.

"Making dinner, what does it look like?" she answered, happily.

"Yeah, but you could have called."

She didn't answer me, but instead started taking out vegetables and meat from the grocery bag. I knew something was up, because she didn't do her usual inspections like she always did whenever she was around.

I waited for her to finish cooking (she preferred to do these things by herself) before I confronted her.

"So, who's the guy?"

My mom just widened her eyes at me. "What are you talking about, Mikan?"

I rolled my eyes. My mom and I were very much alike. We had the same dark brown hair and hazel eyes. Although my hair was shorter than hers, and dyed my hair recently to a lighter color, we still look like we could pass as sisters. And we also had the same attitude. I think I knew where I got my lying skills from, because I could easily detect it on her. Fortunately, I was better at lying than her, so she couldn't exactly tell when I was.

"You don't have to hide it, Mom," I told her. "You always act like this whenever you have a new boyfriend. So who is it?"

She sighed in defeat. "Okay, fine. Well, he's not exactly my boyfriend yet. We do see each other occasionally, and we've went on a few dates."

"I think that counts as a boyfriend."

"I just don't know, okay? I don't want to jinx it. Things have been going so well, that I'm afraid that if I do or say something, things would start falling apart. So, I'm sorry honey, but for now I think I'd like to keep this one a secret. But I promise you I'd introduce you to him when the time comes."

I get where she was coming from. My mom doesn't exactly have the best record when it comes to guys. It was always the same story: some younger douchebag trying to get in her pants so he could get to her money. And I totally understood why she stopped dating for a while. But still, I wanted her to be happy and it hurt me every time she got her heart broken by some guy. So now it was difficult for me to know that she thinks her failed relationships are her fault, and that she always has to keep her guard up.

I smiled at her. "It's okay, Mom. I get it. But you do know that those failed relationships aren't your fault, right?"

She shrugged. "In a relationship, it's always the two parties' fault. I got in those relationships because I was too eager, I guess. And I kept on believing that the next one wouldn't be so bad as the previous. But this one, just feels different. It's scary. That's why I don't want to overthink it too much."

I nodded. It was great to see her this happy again, and I really hoped this wouldn't end badly.

"So enough about me," she said, as we continued eating. "Anyone I should know about?"

She actually looked around the apartment, thinking she missed anyone.

I laughed at her. "Mom, do you think I didn't know by now that you secretly scour this place every time you come over hoping to catch someone?"

She laughed sheepishly. "Well, a mom can dream, can't she?"

"Well, sorry to say you're going to end up disappointed because there's no one here but me."

"So no guy at all?" she asked.

"Nope."

It's actually been a week since that incident with Natsume, and I've done a good job trying to put it behind me (I think). But mostly because I've been busy with work, throughout the week. But now that my mom has brought up the subject somewhat close it, it was all creeping back to me again.

"Mikan, don't take this the wrong way, but I think you should date again."

Great. Just what I needed. My mom lecturing me about my love life. I really didn't want to get into this now, because I was pretty much enjoying my single life, to be honest. And I definitely preferred it that way. No drama, whatsoever.

I sighed. "Mom, just because you have a man in your life, doesn't mean I need one too. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, thank you very much."

"Oh honey, I know that," she said, softly. "But are you happy?"

"Of course I am. Don't worry about me."

"You're my only daughter, of course I worry about you."

"Yeah well, you don't have to do that all the time, okay? You deserve to be happy too."

She smiled at me before we went back to eating. This was why I enjoyed it just being the two of us. We had this understanding to look out for each other, and not worry about anything else. It was simple, at the same time comforting. I sometimes imagined what it would be like if she got married, and had another family. I know she was as happy as I was that we only had each other, but I also knew that wasn't what she wanted in the first place.

My mom had me when she was eighteen, and she was still starting out college. She wanted to be a professional artist, and establish an art school someday. I guess that's where I got inspiration to take on art. My mom was so talented at doing paintings, sculptures, etc., that we barely had any space at our old house for her artworks. But then I came along, so she put that aside, and now she worked as a curator at a local museum that was quite famous in our city. So I was glad she didn't stray too far away from what she loves.

Looking at her now, I wondered what if this relationship worked out and she ended up getting married. Of course, she'd start a new family, and I know I'd still be a part of it. But I was sort of afraid, that if she does end up having a new family, there was still a chance that I'd be left out. I wasn't the only person she was going to worry about anymore. And being an only child for twenty years, I'd still want her attention, even if I was a fully grown woman. And as selfish and childish that sounded, it was true. Not that I'd admit it to anyone, because I wanted what was best for her. She spent all those years taking care of me. It was time she deserved her happiness.

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><p>"Damn, when's the last time you went grocery shopping?"<p>

I was over at Hotaru's place the next day, because she asked me for help to unpack her things. She recently moved into my building a few weeks ago, because it was nearer to the hospital she was working in. She was taking up medicine now, having finished her pre-med program. And since her uncle owns that hospital, he thought it would be great for her to work while studying. Usually, Hotaru hates being told what to do, but she was pretty enthusiastic about the idea. But since she was busy with working and studying, she barely had time to take care of her move. So now, here I was being the awesome best friend that I am.

"I just moved in, what did you expect?" she said, as she tore through another box that was labeled, "fragile."

"I expected for you to eat something for the last two weeks. What have you been eating?"

"There's this magical thing called 'take-out', Mikan."

I rolled my eyes at her an shut her fridge. "Well then, let's make our food appear right now, because I'm starving."

We've been unloading and placing her things all over her apartment for the past four hours. Hotaru was really meticulous when it comes to her things, so I've been placing and re-placing items in various places. When our food came, which was of course, pizza, I forced Hotaru to take a break because we hadn't seen each other ever since Aoi's birthday dinner, and we haven't really talked since then.

"So how's med school?" I asked, when we sat on the couch.

"Complicated," she said. "Not to mention the people there think they're such know-it-all's. It's disgusting."

I've been friends with Hotaru for over ten years now, and ever since she's been very vocal about her opinions. She never sugar-coated anything, which I loved and hated at the same times. I mean, I appreciate her honest opinions, but when there were times that I was vulnerable she was just straightforward on telling me what I did wrong. But still it's that honesty that's kept our friendship intact for so long, so now I kind of felt bad about lying to her about what happened at Aoi's party.

"Any hot doctors at the hospital?" I joked.

She rolled her eyes. "You know I don't have time for that shit, Mikan. But speaking of guys, you haven't told me everything that happened at Aoi's party."

I froze for a moment. Damn, I knew she'd bring this up. I was sure she didn't buy my story either. But I decided to push my luck on this one.

"What do you mean?" I said, innocently. "I told you guys what happened when we had dinner."

"Cut the crap, Mikan," Hotaru said, exasperated. "I know you're hiding something. Don't you think you'd already know by now that it's no use lying to me?"

I sighed in defeat. Oh well, here goes. "I slept with Natsume."

Hotaru actually looked surprised. She froze, her pizza in her hand. "Holy shit. For real?"

"You tell me," I said.

"Okay, I know you're telling the truth. But seriously, holy shit."

I sighed. "I know."

"Well, aren't you going to tell me what happened?"

"I already told you. I was so wasted, that part is true. I mean, I didn't even remember coming onto him or him coming onto me. In fact, I don't even think we interacted that night. So, just imagine my ultimate surprise when I woke up the next morning."

"Did you talk to him yet?" she asked.

My mind suddenly went back to that somewhat heated conversation we had in the bathroom, which was still fresh in my mind.

"Yes, last week at their house, because I left my wallet there," I answered.

"What did he say?"

"He seemed pretty happy with himself," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Figures," she muttered.

Hotaru knew that Natsume sort of had a—I'm not sure what to call it—a crush? Or some weird fascination with me. While I thought Natsume was an okay guy despite um, this fascination he has, Hotaru couldn't stand him. And the feeling is mutual. She hated guys with a cocky side, and he hated how uptight she was.

"But answer me honestly, Mikan," she said, narrowing her eyes at me. "Do you like him?"

My mouth fell open. "What?"

"Did you, I don't know, enjoy yourself? Do you have feelings for him?"

I stared at her, trying to think how I would answer this question. I mean, did I enjoy myself? I guess. No scratch that, I really did. Did I like him that way? Romantically, hell no. But physically? Oh my God, yes.

"Um, I really don't remember that much but I know that he was so good in bed," I answered. "I mean, literally I have never felt that much pleasure. But I don't think I like him that way. He's Aoi's little brother, God! She would kill me."

Hotaru nodded, slowly and clicked her tongue. "Do you like it when he flirts with you?"

"Yes," I groaned, burying my face in my hand.

"Hmm, well it seems like you're so fucking screwed. Aoi is going to murder you."

I looked at her incredulously. "Seriously? You're not helping."

"Well it's true. You obviously lust for him, and there's no denying that he wants you too. It's either you stay away from him, or you fulfill that need."

"I think I'll go with the first one, thanks," I muttered, dryly. "It's actually been working great. I haven't seen him or spoken with him for over a week now, and as long as I don't step foot in Aoi's house ever again, I'll be fine."

"Well, I don't think the kid just stays there. You're going to see him around, eventually."

"Then I'll lock myself in my apartment, problem solved."

She just shook her head in reply.

"Please, please, please don't tell anyone," I begged. "Not even the other girls. I just really want to forget the whole thing even happened."

"Mikan," Hotaru said, seriously. "when did I ever fail you?"

I grinned. "Never."

Hotaru just stared at me, and sighed. "What have you gotten yourself into, Mikan?"

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><p><strong>I just love girl talks lol. Sorry if this chapter is a bit short. I guess I just wanted to show how Mikan has this deep side because I really love her character here. I tried to make her somewhat different here compared to my other stories. <strong>

**Anyway, I'm glad you guys like it so far it makes me really happy. Please don't forget to let me know what you think because ily.**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm really excited about this chapter omg. That's all I have to say. Hope you like it!**

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><p>"Thanks for helping out, Mikan. You're the best," Anna told me.<p>

Literally, I felt like I should be given the Best Friend of the Year award or something. I was over at Anna's bakeshop helping her with last minute orders for a bridal shower. And yes, she actually owned the store. Her parents actually did, but when they died in a plane crash several years ago, she inherited it. The bakeshop was a family business, so she only owned this franchise. I had so much respect for this girl, because she's been through so much but still she ended up being successful. She was still in culinary school, though, so her other relatives help her from time to time.

And that's why I couldn't say no to her when she called me on a work night to help finish the orders.

"No problem," I replied. "As long as I get to pick whatever dessert I want for free."

Anna laughed. "Go ahead, it's on me."

I squealed in delight. There was nothing better than free dessert at one a.m.

"And, it's done," Anna said, as she finished putting on frosting on the five-hundredth cupcake.

I helped myself to one of the red-velvet cupcakes that didn't make the cut. God, that was delicious. Anna was one of the greatest bakers I know. Well, she was the only baker I know. But she made the most amazing cakes, cupcakes, pies, you name it. Even if her employees, did most of the baking (her recipes), she still insisted on making on her own.

"Seriously, you are catering my wedding," I told her, my mouth full.

She laughed. "Yeah, but you'll end up helping me out anyway. But seriously, I really appreciate it. And you have work tomorrow too!"

I waved her off. "No big deal. The monsters won't mind me being late."

I call my students monsters because, they were rowdy in every way imaginable. A few months ago, it took me about three days to get paint out of my hair because one of them started a paintball fight. But I still loved them, nonetheless. Working with kids was definitely fulfilling because it's amazing to watch them learn, and knowing that I was a part of that process. But if there was one thing I learned from teaching, is that I'll never have kids. Like ever.

"Hey you know what," Aoi said, "you should totally give them these cupcakes. That'll make up for it."

"Anna," I said, a little touched, "that's really sweet of you, but you don't have to."

She waved her hand at me. "Don't be silly, Mikan. We have about a hundred leftover cupcakes."

She grabbed a couple of boxes from the shelves and started putting in the cupcakes that didn't make the cut. There was nothing wrong them, to be honest. I mean, you could hardly tell we made mistakes. But like Hotaru, Aoi was also really conscientious when it comes to her work, so she always wanted everything to be perfect.

She handed me three packages of cupcakes. "There. I also put a box for you. To help get you through the week." She winked.

And that's when I knew I made a right choice with Anna. Being friends with bakeshop owners definitely had its perks.

"You are god-sent," I told her.

"It's the least I can do. Thanks again for everything."

"No problem. Good luck with the orders, 'kay? See you soon."

By the time I got to my building, that was when I felt the tiredness of this day. I barely made it out of the elevator to my floor without me toppling out of it and dropping the cupcakes, when I saw someone sitting outside my door. I thought I was just being delusional, because I was so sleepy, but I was sure who it was.

Natsume had his head in between his knees, and seemed to be sleeping? I checked the time on my watch, and realized that it was almost two in the morning. Obviously, he's been here for quite long. My only question is, WHAT THE HELL WAS HE DOING HERE? And also, HOW THE HELL DID HE KNOW WHERE I LIVED?

I nudged him gently with my foot, since my hands were full. He suddenly jolted then fell over. I would've found this quite hilarious in any given time, but I was already getting cranky because I was tired, so honestly he could sleep in the hallway for all I care.

"What the fuck was that for?" he groaned, standing up.

"I think I should be asking you the questions here," I hissed. "What the fuck are you doing here? And how do you know I live here?"

He just looked at me and hesitated. And that's when I noticed that he looked... tired as well. Almost helpless. His hair was unruly like he hadn't showered for days, and there were dark circles under his eyes. He looked about ten years older, and not in a good way.

"Are you drunk?" I asked, when he didn't answer.

Natsume shook his head. "No, I swear I didn't drink before I came here. I just... need a place to stay tonight."

I had been too busy examining him, that I didn't quite understand what he just said, since he mumbled that last part quickly.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"I need a place to stay," he muttered.

Oh my God. I just looked at him disbelievingly. This was one side I've never seen of him. Since he always showed his cocky and arrogant side, I thought that was all he was. Never in my life have I thought about Natsume coming to me for help.

"Are you being serious right now?" I demanded. "I can't just let you come in here. Do your dad and Aoi know where you are?"

He sighed. "I don't want to talk about my dad right now. I'll call Aoi in the morning, but I don't have anywhere else to go."

"Natsume," I said, quietly, "don't you have any friends?"

He looked away from me. "It's complicated. But if you really don't want me to, maybe I could go somewhere else..."

Don't feel sorry for him, Mikan. Don't feel sorry for him.

"I guess you could stay here for the night."

Damn it.

His face lit up. "Really?"

"But only for tonight," I told him, sternly. "As soon as morning comes, you are leaving. Got that?"

He nodded.

I sighed. I just really wanted to kick myself right now. But I guess I was also desperate to get some sleep that at this point, I'd do anything if it means I was going to bury myself in my blankets soon.

"Okay, come on."

"Do you need help with those?" Natsume asked, gesturing to my cupcakes.

Man, this Good Samaritan version of Natsume was starting to creep me out.

"No thanks, I got it," I replied, as I fished for my keys from my pockets and opened the door.

I always felt uneasy when people came to my apartment for some reason. I mean, sure I had my friends over all the time, but when somebody new comes over, it makes me feel nervous in a way. I guess it was just that way that they examine the place where I live. It almost felt like I was taking a huge part of me and handing it over to them. I guess I just always felt sentimental about everything, that for me, my home was something personal. I didn't just let anyone in.

That was how I felt at this moment, when Natsume looked around in my living room. I always liked to keep my apartment clean, and thank God I didn't wake up lazy today. I placed the cupcakes in the fridge, as I watched him examine the little sculptures my mom made on the coffee table in front of the t.v.

I cleared my throat. "Um, would you like something to drink? Water or...?"

"I'll have water, thanks," he replied.

I grabbed two glasses from the cupboard, and poured him and myself ice water. Jesus, this was awkward as fuck. I still couldn't wrap my head around the fact that Natsume was in my apartment right now, in my living room. I guess my plan of avoiding that boy had backfired immensely.

I handed him the glass of water, and he took it quietly. "This is a nice place," he murmured.

I blinked a few times, in surprise. "Um, thanks."

He gestured to the sculptures. "Did you make these?"

"No, my mom did. Those were from our old house."

He just nodded, as he gulped down his water. Did we just have a casual conversation right there? This was so weird.

"So listen," I said, "I have work tomorrow, or rather, later. So you are taking the couch. By tomorrow morning, you leave. Okay?"

Natsume glanced at me, then nodded. "Okay."

"Good," I said, taking the glass from him. "So um, you just make yourself comfortable there or whatever. I'm going to bed."

I quickly placed my glasses on the sink, and almost ran to my bedroom. I was about to open my door, when Natsume called out to me.

"Hey, Mikan. Thanks again."

"Sure," I replied. I then locked myself in my room, my head spinning. Did that just happen? We just had a conversation without one of us wanting to rip each other's head off. This Natsume was so new to me, that I was afraid he might be possessed and just come right into my room while I was sleeping and murder me.

As I got ready for bed, I made sure that my bedroom door was locked, just in case. I really hoped by the time I woke up tomorrow, he'd be gone, because I really didn't want to have to face him anymore.

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><p>I barely had any sleep. I stayed up all night, tossing and turning thinking about what happened last night. Of all people, why would he come to me for help? It wasn't like we were friends. Was I the last resort or was I the first option? And most importantly, why did he even leave his home in the first place?<p>

With all these in my mind, I think I only had like thirty minutes of sleep, and before I knew it, it was six o'clock already. I was so tempted to just stay at home today, but I just couldn't bear the thought of the monsters missing me today. So I forced myself to get up. As I got out of room, I honestly expected that I wouldn't see Natsume on my couch anymore. But of course, I was wrong. I was so wrong.

I reached the living room, seeing a sleeping Natsume still on my couch. He had his front facing the down, so I could only see his back. Jesus, this scene was already becoming so familiar to me. Of course he wouldn't get up at six in the morning. No teenage boy would. But I really needed to get to work, and him out of my apartment.

I nudged his shoulder with my hand. "Natsume, wake up."

He stirred a little, but continued sleeping.

Well, I guess this was one thing we had in common. But the sooner he got out of here, the sooner my life returned to normal. So this time I shook his shoulder, and that seemed to work. He groaned, sleepily as he lifted his head from one of my couch pillows.

"What time is it?" he said, huskily.

I tried to ignore how sexy his morning voice sounded.

I cleared my throat. "Past six in the morning. Time to get up. We had a deal remember?"

He sat up slowly, and looked up at me. "Are you fucking kidding me? Why are you up so early?"

I stared at him disbelievingly. "Because I have work today, idiot. Now, if you remember what we talked about, it's time to get your ass out of that door."

"Seriously? You're going to kick me out just like that?"

"Yes, because that was our agreement!" I said, exasperatedly. "I let you sleep on my couch for the night, and you leave the next morning. What else do you want?"

The bastard actually seemed to be thinking about my last statement, which I meant to be rhetorical.

"Well, I am kind of starving." He smirked slightly.

I couldn't believe this. Who the hell did he think he is, making himself comfortable here already?

I glared at him. "Are you kidding me? This isn't a bed-and-breakfast."

But when I looked at him again, he did seem like he hadn't eaten for hours. I didn't know what this kid had been up to for the past few days, but of all people he did come to me for help. And even if we weren't friends in any way, and sort of couldn't stand each other (at least I couldn't), he was Aoi's brother and I think I owed it her to help him out whatever he was going through. And besides, we did have sex, so I guess that counted for something, even if it was a one-night-stand.

I sighed. Screw getting a Best Friend of the Year award. I should get a Person of the Year, for just existing to be honest.

"Fine," I told Natsume. "Go help yourself with whatever's on the fridge. I'm gonna go get ready for work, and by the time I'm leaving, you're leaving too."

"I can live with that."

"Okay, then." I turned around, and headed for my room.

"Oh and Mikan?" Natsume called out.

I looked at him, waiting for whatever he had to say.

"I like your pajamas."

I froze, realizing what he meant. I looked down on my sleepwear, which was just a loose pink tank top and cotton shorts. But most importantly, I completely forgot I wasn't wearing a bra. I gasped as I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Pervert," I muttered, heading back to my room. And I swear I heard the asshole chuckling.

See? This was why I hated having people over. Well, I guess I should be relieved because he was still his same old self. His same old self that I should get back to avoiding.

As soon as I was done getting ready, I headed for the kitchen because I starving as well. But when I got there, I saw Natsume by the counter, scarfing down on my cupcakes! Oh no, now he's went over the line. It was a good thing he didn't touch the other two boxes meant for the monsters.

"What the hell are you doing?" I exclaimed.

He didn't glance at me. "I'm eafing," he said, his mouth full.

"Why are you eating my cupcakes?"

He finally swallowed, and looked up at me. "Because all you have in your fridge are a bunch of healthy shit. This was the closest I could find to a good breakfast."

"Well, that doesn't mean you can eat those!"

Okay, before you judge me for overreacting, let me just say that I've been stressed out enough already given the recent occurrences. So I really looked forward to those cupcakes Anna gave me. And regarding the healthy shit he was talking about, I really do try to eat healthy once in a while. But I only do that towards the end of the week because that's when I've finished all the other food in my fridge, which was a sign I had to go grocery shopping.

Natsume just looked at me as if I was insane, which I guess was what I sounded right about now. "You have like two other boxes left. What's the big deal?"

I decided I shouldn't waste my energy getting stressed out over stupid cupcakes, because I was sure I could always ask Anna for more whenever I'd like. Besides, the poor guy looked like he needed them more than I did, so I just let it go. For now.

"Okay, fine," I said. "Sorry. Eat as much as you'd like. I'll just go make myself some coffee. Do you want some?"

He just shook his head. "Jesus you're so weird."

I rolled my eyes, and went on with my morning routine. It was already seven, which meant I only had half an hour to try to enjoy the rest of my morning. Usually, this was the time when I relaxed, and watched some t.v. before I left for work, just to get me started for the day. But today, I decided to interrogate this cupcake-stealing bastard.

"So, Natsume," I said, taking a seat on one of the stools in the counter, "how did you know where I live?"

He arched an eyebrow at me, as he continued to devour my cupcakes. Okay, I still felt bad about it. "What do you mean?"

"What do you mean, what do I mean? I mean exactly what I said. How do you know where I live?"

"I've always known where you lived," he said, nonchalantly.

Um, excuse him, this matter was not to be taken lightly. He always knew where I lived? That was creepy as fuck.

"What the hell are you talking about? Do you stalk me or something?"

He smirked. "Well as a matter of fact, I do stalk you." He leaned towards me, and lowered his voice. "I watch you sleep every night, and sometimes when you shower and change. How does that make you feel?"

My mouth fell open. Oh my God, I let a sociopath into my home.

He leaned back, and laughed. "Jesus I'm kidding. You should've seen your face. Just so you know, Aoi had mentioned where you lived a few times, because she had plans on moving out near your place."

I let out a sigh of relief. That last part was true though, that Aoi was looking for apartments in this neighborhood. But now, I had a huge urge to punch Natsume in the face.

"You are such an asshole," I muttered.

He chuckled. "Hmm, but seriously, how would you feel about that?"

"Like I want to call the cops," I told him, seriously,

He tilted his head to the side. "Really? That doesn't turn you on?"

Well, fuck. Now that he'd mentioned it, it did sound kind of hot. In an really sick, twisted way. No, I mentally told myself. You cannot fall for his tricks. But I felt my cheeks flush involuntarily anyway, so I took a sip of my coffee. Curse my body for being a traitor.

He smirked, triumphantly. "So it does, doesn't it?"

I glared at him. "It does not. You're so disgusting. And I'm the one asking the questions here, anyway. Why did you leave your home last night?"

"Why did you come home at two a.m. last night?"

I blinked at him. "None of your business."

He shrugged. "That answers your question."

God, he was so damn difficult. "Well I think it's my business because you crashed in my apartment for the night! I think I have the right to know the reason why. And for just so you know, I had to help Anna with her orders last night, and that's why I have those cupcakes you're eating right now."

"These are from Anna's? Damn, can you hook me up with more of these?"

"What? No, don't change the subject. Why did you leave?"

He sighed. "Let's just say, it's nothing new. And nothing to worry your pretty little head about."

I give up. It looked like he wasn't spilling anyway. And besides, it was almost seven thirty, which meant I had to get going, since I had to be at the school by eight. So I went ahead and washed some dishes, and took out the two boxes of cupcakes.

"Who are those for, anyway?" Natsume asked.

"If you must know, they're for my students. Anna gave them to me as payment for helping her out last night. And that box you're eating was supposed to be mine."

He paused, and glanced down at the box. "Shit, for real? Well, now I feel sort of bad."

I looked at him skeptically. He did seem pretty sorry, and I didn't expect him to say that. Damn, this boy continued surprising me by the minute.

"Don't worry," I told him, "you'll live."

As I got everything fixed in the kitchen, I realized that I may have judged Natsume too quickly. In all the years I've known him, he's only shown one side of him. But now, I know that there was more to him. And for some reason, I wanted to find out what the rest was. But at the same time I knew I had to keep my distance from him, because he sort of scared me in a way. With seeing this new side of him, I was afraid what he'd do next.

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><p><strong>AHH SO MUCH FEELS. I decided to show a little more of Natsume's character here, since last chapter you saw Mikan's. And as much as we love arrogant, cocky, Natsume, we all know that's not all to him. But don't worry, you'll get to see more of that side in the following chapters, because let's admit, that's our favorite side. Or at least it's mine.<strong>

**Anyway, next chapter will the the continuation of this so stick around for that. Do let me know what you think of this chapter because I enjoy reading your reviews so much. x**

**And omg I almost forgot. If you guys have watched Bandslam (2009), then you'd totally get the "monsters" reference Mikan was talking about here. I love that movie, you should watch it if you haven't. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Yay new chapter! Hope you like it! x**

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><p>"Thanks for the um, cupcakes, I guess," Natsume said.<p>

He was putting on his jacket he wore last night, while I grabbed my car keys hanging beside the front door. At that moment, I was already itching to just get in my car and leave already, because I had a feeling this was going to be an awkward conversation.

"Anytime," I said. "Wait, I don't mean anytime. I meant you should give me a warning first... not that you're always welcome here. No, I meant um... just... don't run away again."

He just stared at me. Great, I've made a fool of myself, yet again. Good job, Mikan. I opened my mouth to rephrase what I just said, when my phone rang, which was just the distraction I needed out of this situation. But when I looked at the caller i.d., I would've traded anything to not answer this phone call. It was Aoi.

"Oh my God," I said, the phone frozen in my hand.

"What?" Natsume asked.

I showed him my phone, silently, and I watched his face still. He looked up at me. "Aren't you going to answer it?"

"Are you insane?" I hissed. "What am I supposed to tell her? That her brother spent the night at my place, don't worry everything's fine? I thought you said you were gonna call her?"

"Well, I didn't exactly get the chance yet," he shot back.

My phone was still ringing in my hand, and I was already on the verge of losing it.

"What are we going to do?" I asked, frantically.

"Lie."

"What?"

"Just answer the damn thing. Tell her I'm not here."

I don't think he knew how incredibly risky that option was for both us, especially when I was already panicking. But at this point, I guess I was just going to have to wing it.

"Hi Aoi!" I answered, a bit too enthusiastically.

"Mikan? Hey, I'm not bothering you or anything, am I?"

"No, not all. What's up?" My voice was still perky, and Natsume was just watching me with an amused expression on his face. I couldn't believe it. He was enjoying watching me suffer.

"It's Natsume," she said, worried. "He left late last night, and we haven't heard from him since. I know, this might sound crazy, but you haven't seen him around, have you?"

I gulped. There it was. I really hated lying to Aoi, especially when I knew she was this distressed. And I even had the exact information she needed.

"No, I haven't. I'm sorry, Aoi." I was surprised at how level my voice sounded.

She sighed. "It's okay. God, I don't even know about that boy, sometimes."

I glanced at Natsume, who was now staring intently at me. "Um, what happened?"

"He got in a fight with Dad last night. You know how they are."

Of course. I should've known it was a family thing. Ever since Aoi and Natsume's mom died several years ago, Natsume hadn't really been getting along with his dad. They always got into these arguments, that Aoi always ended up fixing things between them.

"Oh. Well, I'm sure he'll be home anytime soon."

"I hope so. Do you have idea where he could possibly be?"

"Nope," I said, quickly, "I don't."

"Okay, thank you, Mikan. Let me know if he turns up or something."

"Sure."

"That was terrible," Natsume said, when I hung up.

"You're telling me! Your sister's worried sick about you. I feel horrible."

"I didn't know you were such an awful liar."

I rolled my eyes at him. "I'm an incredible liar. She didn't notice, don't worry. I saved your fucking ass. You so owe me for this."

He leaned towards me. "Don't worry, sweetheart," he said deeply, "I won't forget."

Jesus. Every time he did that all coherent thoughts in my mind suddenly becomes blurry. He seemed to be aware of this fact, because he had on a smug smile on his face.

"Thanks again, for everything. Oh, and just know you can call me anytime you need that favor." And with that, he winked and then he left.

A part of me was actually relieved that he was gone. But then another part of me also had an urge to smell that pillow on my couch that Natsume slept in. So I immediately grabbed my jacket, purse, and cupcakes, and got the hell away from my apartment before I did anything stupid.

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><p>If there was anything good that came out of this day, was that the monsters enjoyed the cupcakes from Anna. And when I got home, I was happy to see that I still had four cupcakes left out of twelve. And okay, I was a little touched that Natsume left at least some for me. I was camped out on the sofa, watching some t.v. that night, when I heard a knock on the door. I groaned, quietly. Why was it that every time I attempted to get some peace and quiet, somebody always had to come and interrupt? If that was Natsume again, I swear to God I would slam the door in his face.<p>

But when I checked the peephole, I was surprised to see Hotaru outside. I was a little confused because she should still be at the hospital at this time.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" I said, opening the door for her.

She entered right away. "What was Hyuuga doing leaving your apartment this morning?"

I froze. Oh my God, what if Aoi somehow found out that I lied and told the rest of the gang? Shit, I was so screwed.

"H-how do you know about that?" I asked.

"In case you've forgotten, Mikan, we live in the same building now. Imagine my surprise when I almost ran into him at the elevator. Thank God he didn't see me."

"Well, how do you know that he wasn't visiting someone else?" I tried not to show my relief that Aoi bought my lie. God, I was such a terrible friend.

Hotaru shot me a look. "Who else could it be?"

I sighed. "Okay, he spent the night here. But it's not what you think! I was coming home from helping Anna with her cupcakes last night, when I saw Natsume outside my door. He asked if he could stay the night, because he ran away in the middle of night or something. And he actually looked helpless, so I let him in. I swear, nothing happened. He left right away this morning."

She sighed in relief. "Well, thank God. I thought you'd actually cracked and slept with him again."

I looked at her confusedly. "Don't take this the wrong way, but why are you so worried about that? I thought that was another option according to you."

"Because I know how you can be, Mikan."

"And how can I be?" I asked, defensively.

She went to my couch and plopped herself on it. "You don't handle problems well. If you slept with him again, or got into some kind of relationship, I think it'll just get messy. Then something definitely will go wrong, like Aoi finding out, then you'd hide from her, then from the rest of us, probably move to a different state or country and change your name. Then you'd live alone for the rest of your life probably with two or three cats."

This was exactly one of those moments when I would appreciate it if Hotaru wasn't so honest with me.

"Mikan, I know you better than you know yourself," Hotaru continued. "You hate facing your problems."

"Well, maybe you're right," I said, sitting down beside her. "But it's better that way for me, because I've always lived like that. I don't like drama, I don't like fighting, I don't like anything complicated."

Hotaru helped herself to one of my cupcakes. "Yeah, but what's the fun in that?"

"The fun is that I get to enjoy my life the way I want to, and probably with my two or three future cats. And besides, hooking up with random people is not the definition of fun."

"Exactly, and you're always just at home. When's the last time you went out, like to enjoy?"

"Aoi's party," I said, quietly. Okay, I knew I sounded like the lamest person on earth, but I really just preferred to be in the peace and quiet of my home and not at some bar with random people groping me. It wasn't that I was anti-social, but I guess I was selectively social. I mean, I love my friends and all, but every time we have some sort of gathering, I always asked for the details before I confirm anything. Like Aoi's party for instance. I really wanted to go because it was her birthday, of course, and also because I just felt like having fun that night. But on a any random night that my friends feel like going out, I'd rather stay at home on my bed or couch in front of the television. Okay, maybe I was lame.

"But I've been busy!" I said. "And you have been too."

"At least I know how to keep things interesting," she muttered almost under her breath.

"What's that supposed to mean? You spend all your time at school and the hospital. How is that interesting? Oh my God, what aren't you telling me?"

The thing between Hotaru and I, was we could always read each other. It wasn't just a one-sided thing like Hotaru with my lying. I also knew if she was doing the same.

She nibbled on the cupcake she was eating, and avoided my gaze. Busted. She was definitely hiding something from me.

"Come on, Hotaru. Just tell me."

She sighed. "Okay, I'm fucking somebody."

My mouth fell open. Did I just hear her right?

"What?" I gasped.

"It's not a big deal," she said, finally finishing off her cupcake.

"Not a big deal? When did this happen?"

"A few days ago. I mean, really I thought the whole idea of having a no-strings-attached relationship was stupid, but once you start, it's actually really... addicting."

I just stared at my best friend as she talked about this issue so casually like she just bought a new pair of shoes.

"Oh my God, wow," I said. "Like, literally I have no words. Who is it?"

"You don't know him."

"Okay," I said, slowly. "Please, dear God, don't tell me you do it at the hospital."

"He works at the hospital."

"Jesus," I whispered.

"I don't get why you're so worked up about this. This is just what I need. No feelings, just sex. It's the perfect stress reliever."

"So this guy is okay with you using him?"

Hotaru looked at me as if I was kid learning the alphabet for the first time. "That's kind of how it works, Mikan."

I let out a breath. "Right. Okay. Wow, I'm so happy for you."

She just rolled her eyes.

"So, why are you here again?" I asked her.

"So I could eat these." She pointed to my cupcakes, and got the last one from the box.

Well, there goes my own stress-reliever.

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><p>"Hey bitch, who the hell are you and what have you done to Mikan?"<p>

I rolled my eyes at Sumire as my friends and I all got out of my car and headed towards the club. My conversation with Hotaru yesterday really made me realize that I was the most boring person on the planet. And since it was a Friday night, I called my friends after I got home from work and asked them if they wanted to go out tonight. They were all pretty shocked, of course, and I really didn't blame them. This was the first time in months that I initiated a night out. And I only wasn't doing it because of what Hotaru said. I missed my friends and I really wanted to have fun tonight. Hopefully, I would be sober enough to not sleep with some random guy. Again. Jesus, I already sounded like a slut. Oh and speaking of Hotaru, she told me she couldn't make it since she was "working late", and it took no genius what she meant by that.

"Seriously, this is so weird," Sumire said. "On any usual nights we literally have to drag you out of your apartment."

"Yeah, well I just felt like going out tonight," I said, nonchalantly.

"In that case, let's make the most out of this night!" Nonoko exclaimed.

"Yeah, 'cause it may never happen again," Aoi added, grinning at me.

I had the sweetest friends ever. Really.

Let me just say, that one of the main reasons why I hate going to clubs was because A: it's really crowded and full of sweaty bodies and B: because the mixed scents of smoke, sweat, alcohol, and other things made me want to puke. It was good thing that this club I picked out, which was in the upper class part of the city, was sort of a high end one which we've been to a few times. Plus, it was easy to get in since Sumire was friends (or used to sleep with, I guess) with the bouncer.

We easily got couches and ordered drinks. The club wasn't full tonight, probably because it was only nine o'clock. Usually this place got crowded at midnight. After we drank some shots, we decided to dance our heads off. I didn't mean to brag but, I was a great dancer. I used to take dance classes since I was ten, all the way to high school. The thing was, I always got super conscious about people watching me, so I always backed out of recitals. I just merely enjoyed dancing by myself, or with a few people. So I only got to show off my moves at parties and such. Since I was already feeling buzzed, I didn't care who saw me, and just enjoyed the moment with my friends. God, I didn't know what I was thinking always wanting to stay home all the time. This was way more fun than binge-watching Grey's Anatomy.

"Oh my God we should do this more often!" Sumire exclaimed as we went back to our couch to order more drinks.

"I know!" I said. "God, I missed this."

"Okay then, Grandma. From now on, we do this every Friday of the week, got it?"

I nodded happily. "Definitely."

"So where's Hotaru?" Anna asked, plopping down next to me.

"At the hospital, probably fucking someone in a supply closet." I gasped, as I clamped my hand over my mouth. Did I just say that out loud?

The surprised looks on my friends' faces answered that question.

"Holy shit," Nonoko said, wide-eyed. "Hotaru? I never thought that would happen."

Sumire whistled. "Go Hotaru. At least she's getting some tonight."

"You guys," I moaned, "she just told me yesterday. I think she'd kill me if I told you before she did."

Aoi snorted. "Please, it's not a big deal."

"Um, I think it is," Anna said. "I don't think it's fair to use people like that."

Nonoko groaned. "Oh my God, Anna, you are so fucking cute. That's the point of those kinds of relationships. You use each other for sex and nothing else. In fact, maybe I should look for one tonight."

Sumire made a face. "Ew. There isn't one cute guy here."

"Sure there is." Nonoko scanned over the crowd that was already forming. "Hmm okay, maybe you're right... hey! Aoi, I see your brother."

I immediately froze. Oh my God, I really didn't want to see him. I slowly looked over at Aoi, who just shrugged.

"Yeah, he said he'd be here tonight."

"How did it go with him, by the way?" I asked, carefully. "Did he come home?"

She nodded. "Oh yeah. And he seemed to be in a better mood. But he's still not talking to Dad though." She sighed. "They'll get over it."

"Literally, your brother is the best looking guy I've seen here so far," Nonoko said.

Aoi threw a couch pillow at her. "Ew, stop. Don't even think about it."

"I'm not! Jesus."

"But you have to admit, he is really hot though," Sumire said.

"Puberty is a magical thing," Nonoko agreed.

Even Anna joined in. "Yeah, it seemed like he was just a boy, then bam! Hotness overload."

Aoi groaned loudly. "Jesus, stop talking about him like that or I'm gonna throw up. Do not touch my brother, I swear to God I'm gonna rip your heads off."

I gulped as I silently took a sip of my drink. It was a good thing I wasn't that drunk yet, or I think I would've yelled out, "I slept with him! I slept with him!"

"Oh my God, don't be so selfish," Sumire said. "You're like already related to him, you can't be that greedy."

Aoi glared at her. "I mean it."

Sumire raised her hands in surrender. "Okay, I won't. Jesus, relax."

Nonoko let out a squeal. "Oh never mind. I already spotted someone who just walked in. Be right back."

"Please don't do it in the bathroom!" Anna called out. "It's filthy in there."

"I know right?" Sumire said. "What is up with that?"

We just laughed as we continued to drink and move on to other topics. I haven't looked once at Natsume's direction, wherever he was, but God, I was so tempted to. So when my friends were busy talking about who was hotter between Jake Gyllenhaal or Ryan Gosling, I sneaked a glance at the bar, and sure enough he was there. He was alone, with a drink and I wondered if he really was stalking me. Then we made eye-contact and he smirked slightly and winked. I felt my cheeks flush as I looked away, hating this effect he had on me. When I looked again, I saw that he was already chatting with some other girl, who had her back turned to me, so I didn't know who it was. I looked away again, feeling relieved. I had to keep in mind that this boy was off-limits, and obviously just loved flirting with women.

I took a shot of tequila, distracting myself from looking in his direction again. Suddenly, an upbeat song came on, and I turned to my friends. "Hey come on, let's dance!"

They all agreed and we headed to the dance floor. Only this time, I attempted to dance a little sexier than I did a while ago. Apparently, the alcohol gave me a little courage. And what was really sick was, I knew Natsume was watching, so I upped it a little bit.

"Whoa, go Mikan!" Sumire said, laughing. Then she also swayed her hips together with me.

At that moment, I sneaked a glance at Natsume, and sure enough, he was looking at my direction. I smirked triumphantly, knowing I had the same effect on him as he did on me. Although, I had no idea why I was doing it. I told myself it was just because of the alcohol, and not because I saw him with another girl.

"Oh my God, that was so fucking awesome!" Sumire panted, once the song was done, and we went back to our table.

"I completely forgot Mikan was a professional dancer," Aoi said, laughing.

I rolled my eyes. "I am not."

"Um, honey. If you must know, a hundred pair of eyes are on you right now after that little performance."

I blushed at the thought, and didn't bother to look. I had to admit, it was fun dancing again, after such a long time. But I was already feeling somewhat embarrassed at what I did. Oh God, what if Natsume thought I was doing that for him? I wanted the floor to swallow me right now.

"Well I'm glad our Mikan is finally turning into a sexy woman she was meant to be," Sumire said.

"We should drink to that," Anna said.

"We should drink numerous times to that," Aoi corrected.

And that's what we did. We drank as many shots as we could and danced a couple of times. And not once did I look in Natsume's direction again for the rest of the night.

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><p><strong>Who's guilty of doing what Mikan did? Hahaha I hope you guys enjoyed that. Please don't forget to let me know what you think because your reviews are life. x<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**Putting this out a little early for you lovelies. And I have to admit, I am quite nervous about this chapter and about your guys' reaction haha. But I hope you'll like it!**

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><p>I woke up to a loud pounding. I kept my eyes closed, trying to ignore the stupid vibrations. It took me seconds to realize that it was just my head. I moaned, burying my face in my pillows. My head literally felt like exploding, and I felt sick to my stomach. Suddenly, I felt my stomach clench. I pulled the covers off me and clamped my hand over my mouth as I rushed to the bathroom and threw up in the toilet. Oh my God, I felt like shit.<p>

"Someone's had a wild night."

I turned around to the voice, and found Hotaru standing by the bathroom door frame eating some cereal.

I opened my mouth to speak, but my stomach had a different idea, so I heaved again in the toilet. Okay, now I remembered why I hated partying. Last night was a blur to me, and trying to remembering the events made my head hurt more.

"What are you doing here?" I managed to say.

"If you must know, I picked up your guys' asses last night. When you drunk called me, I knew you were too wasted to go home by yourselves. So I drove you girls home here to your apartment with your car. The others are in the living room, if you're wondering."

"Thanks," I mumbled.

She sighed. "Okay, why don't you take a shower first, then I'll get you some aspirin for the headache. I made breakfast by the way, which you owe me for."

I smiled weakly at her. "You're the best."

Three hours and an aspirin later, we were all feeling much better, but still felt like crap. The other girls also freshened up here and left after eating Hotaru's breakfast. I plopped down on the couch rubbing my temples, while Hotaru cleaned up in the kitchen. Then she stayed for little while, then left after lunch since she needed to be at the hospital. I was about to take a nap after she left when my mom called.

"Hey, Mom," I answered, my voice still hoarse.

"Hi sweetie!" she chirped, and I had to cringe at the sound. "Are you okay? You sound sick."

"I'm fine," I told her. "What's up?"

"Okay, I know this is a little last minute, but are you free later for a dinner out?"

I groaned inwardly. I loved my mom to death, but I seriously didn't want to leave my apartment any time soon. "Yeah, but why don't you just come over here? I can cook or something."

She laughed nervously. "Well, the thing is, I kind of want you to meet... my boyfriend."

I sat up. Oh yeah. I completely forgot the fact that my mom was dating. "Oh. Wow, already? Um, sure okay I'll be there."

My mom sighed in relief. "Thank you, Mikan. Oh and by the way, he invited his kids too. I think you're going to like them."

My head was already spinning at this brand new information. She wanted our families to meet already? Or the better question was, this dude already had his own family? This was new to me. But how awkward would that be? I've never even met the guy yet. But I knew why my mom was dropping the bomb at the last minute. She knew if she'd told me sooner, I'd somehow find an excuse not to go. Yep, like mother like daughter.

"Okay, Mom. See you later. Thanks for letting me know."

She was oblivious to my sarcasm at that last statement. "Great! And wear something nice, okay? I love you, bye!"

"Love you too," I mumbled. Something nice? Where were we going anyway? My mom and I never liked eating at fancy restaurants. So that meant, whoever she was dating has got to be some rich dude. Wow. Go, Mom.

Since I had a few hours to kill before dinner, I took a nap, but still I had that scorching headache. I was so tempted to just cancel, but I knew how important this was to my mom, so I dragged myself out of bed. I stared at my closet, wondering what the hell I was supposed to wear. I didn't have fancy clothes, and the closest I've got are the ones I wear to clubs, and I knew that wasn't appropriate. So I just settled for a long-sleeved white button down shirt and tucked it in a black circle skirt. I finished off with my black pumps. I spent some time on my hair and make-up to hide how shitty I looked, and once I was done, I had to say I looked amazing. I don't think anyone could tell I was hungover.

"Don't screw this up, Mikan," I said, staring at myself in the mirror. I just wished my lucky stars that I wouldn't suddenly blurt out something idiotic, or somehow trip and set the place on fire.

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><p>Okay, wow. I was going to kill my mom for this. When I arrived at the restaurant my mom texted me about, I knew I should have looked it up first. It was one of the fanciest restaurants in the city! I looked down on my outfit, feeling way under-dressed. The confidence I had a while ago, immediately dropped. And this place had a fucking valet. While waiting for my turn, I took whatever mess I had going on in my car and shoved them in my glove compartment. I just hoped I didn't miss like a random tampon wrapper or something as ridiculous as that.<p>

I didn't have time to worry about my outfit, so the best I could do was spray on my most expensive perfume, which I was glad I kept in my car and walked into that restaurant, ignoring the judging eyes the other women gave me. And to make things worse, my mom said nothing about reservation details, so I just told the receptionist or waitress, or whoever she was, my mom's name as I stood there like a fool, a line already forming behind me. Oh my God, what was this place? The people here were dressed as if they were at a red carpet or something. Finally the lady led me to a table, and the first person I saw was my mother. The other two seats were faced back at me, so I couldn't see who she was with. When she saw me, she grinned brightly and walked over to me, giving me a hug.

"Oh honey, I'm so glad you could make it!"

When I saw how happy she was, I couldn't even bring myself to be mad at her. And also, I couldn't help noticing that she looked incredibly stunning. She was wearing a white cocktail dress that hugged her curves perfectly.

"Mom," I said, wincing a little. "You didn't exactly elaborate on how nice I needed to dress."

She examined me. "You look great, Mikan, don't worry. Come on, come meet Aden."

She led me to the table, and when I saw who it was and who he was with, I swear, I almost fainted.

My mom was dating Aoi and Natsume's dad.

I seriously felt like the universe was playing some sick joke on me, because this was so fucked up. I didn't realize I was frozen on the spot, as Mr. Hyuuga had his hand extended to me. My mom had to nudge me making me snap back into reality.

"H-hi, Mr. Hyuuga," I managed to say. I tried to ignore the stare that I was sure Natsume was giving me already. Now I suddenly remembered the stunt I pulled last night, with my stupid dancing. Great job, brain, what perfect timing. I wanted to die on the spot really. I wondered where Aoi was, because I really needed someone to laugh with me at this situation.

"Please, just call me Aden," he replied.

I merely nodded, wondering how the hell this happened. I've met Mr. Hyuuga a few times before since I was friends with Aoi. But from what I knew, he was this bigshot lawyer, so he wasn't around most of the time. I looked at my mother who had somewhat of a guilty look on her face. I wondered why she never told me. Probably because, she knew this would be my reaction. So what, she decided to drop the bomb all of a sudden? Plus, I was still hungover, and I seriously had a huge urge to throw up in the bathroom right now.

"Should we eat?" Mom said, as if she didn't just surprise me into existence.

I looked across from me and saw Natsume who was looking at me with an unreadable expression on his face. He didn't look as shocked as I did, probably because my mom already pestered him with stories about her wonderful daughter Mikan. I always had to be the last to know.

After they ordered, that was when things got awkward. My mom being the first to speak, cleared her throat, and turned to me. "So Mikan, I'm sure you already know the Hyuugas."

I wanted to scream, "Of course, Mom! I'm friends with Aoi remember? And I slept with Natsume, although you don't know about that." But all I was able to do was nod in reply.

"I'm sorry we didn't tell you sooner. But Aden and I decided that it would be a delightful surprise, because I know how close you are with Aoi."

Oh I was beyond surprised alright. What the hell was she talking about? I didn't know what to think. This situation was beyond weird.

"She couldn't make it tonight, though," Mr. Hyuuga added. "She had to finish shooting a project at school."

Figures. Aoi was a film student, so her schedule was packed most of the time. I wondered if she knew what was going on. I bet not. What would she think? At that moment, the food suddenly came, and looking at it just made me want to hurl. I've seriously lost all my appetite.

"Um, I need to go the bathroom," I said, excusing myself. Although, I really didn't want to go there and risked being stared at and judged by snotty women. So I went outside, and tried to take some deep breaths. Holy shit. It was a miracle I didn't pass out in there.

"Are you okay?"

I turned around, and saw Natsume standing behind me. I wasn't able to notice how incredibly sexy he looked in a suit. His hair was tousled in that natural just-got-out-bed look, and I almost forgot how to breathe at the moment.

"What are you doing here?" I said.

He rolled his eyes. "You can't possibly believe I'd want to stay there a minute longer."

"Just give me second."

"How's that hangover treating you?"

Blushing, my mind immediately went back yet again to that embarrassing stunt last night. Thank God it was already dark out, so he couldn't see my face clearly.

"Badly," I replied.

"You seemed to have a great time last night, though." There was a hint of amusement in his voice.

I cringed slightly. "Yeah, I'm never getting drunk again," I muttered.

There was a short silence between us. "So what do you think?" I asked.

"About?"

"Our parents."

He shrugged. "I don't know, I think it's weird they'd hide it."

"Right? It's like they're fucking teenagers. Does Aoi know?"

"Not yet, but we already knew my dad was dating someone. Too soon if you ask me." He said that last line under his breath, but I was able to catch it. I knew what he meant. Their mom died of cancer five years ago, and it must have been hard for them, especially Natsume to see their dad moving on, since Aoi told me once how close he was with her.

"Sorry," I said, quietly.

"It's not your fault. Or your mom's. I just wish... fuck, never mind."

I wondered if it that was the reason why Natsume got in a fight with his dad that night he stayed over at my place. A part of me wanted to ask him, but I was also scared. Scared, that he might shut me out. I shook the thought out of my head. Why would I care about that? It's not like I needed to be concerned about him. From what I know, I should be avoiding him. But given this new situation, I doubt that was possible.

"I guess we should go back," I said, after a while. To be honest, I really wanted to leave right now since this was all too much to take in one night. But I knew my mom would be disappointed if I left, so that thought was all it took to make me stay.

He made a face. "Do we really have to?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "Don't be such a kid. Come on."

"I'm not a fucking kid," he said, sharply.

I raised an eyebrow at his response. "Well, you are still eighteen."

He then faced me with a dark glint in his eyes. "Yeah? Well, I'm the eighteen year-old boy who fucked you senseless. Do you remember that, sweetheart?"

I froze, unable to speak for a moment. I opened my mouth to talk, but no words came out. Natsume smirked at me, and walked back into the restaurant. While I was left there standing like an idiot.

Fucking hell. When I got over my quick state of shock, I was enraged. For a moment there, I actually felt sorry for him. But then I was suddenly reminded what kind of an asshole he really was. For all I knew, maybe that "sensitive" side he showed me was all an act to get into my pants again.

Well, fuck him. Actually, not fuck him. He can go fuck himself for all I care.

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><p>I couldn't concentrate in class, Monday morning. I knew this was weird coming from a teacher, but I was so distracted that I didn't even notice one of the monsters already coloring the table with oil pastel. Usually, even if I lacked from sleep the previous night, I would always be enthusiastic in class. But my mind kept going back to that dinner, Saturday night. I still couldn't wrap my head around the fact that my mom was dating Mr. Hyuuga. Well, I guess I should somehow be glad because he was much different from my mom's previous boyfriends. For starters, he had an actual stable job, and he had a family to take of, which meant that he was responsible enough to take care of my mother too. Plus, my mom did seem really happy and glowing, which was the first time I'd seen her in a long time.<p>

But still, my mind kept on wondering to the possibility that if they ended up together and got married, I'd have Natsume as my step-brother. The thought made me want to shudder. I mean, how awkward would that be if I suddenly blurt out that we'd hooked up at a family gathering? It's only been almost two months since my mom and Mr. Hyuuga had been dating, but as selfish as it sounded, I really wished they wouldn't get engaged any time soon.

After work, I decided to head to my mom's apartment because we hadn't really talked properly during dinner last Saturday, and I had a few words I had to say to her. Even if I loved her to death, I was still pissed that she just suddenly attacked me with all those new information without warning. I decided to return the favor by not calling her either, since she surprise visits me all the time.

When I got there, I took out the spare keys from her apartment that she gave me, and opened the door. And I immediately wished I had called in advance.

Because on the couch was my mother and Mr. Hyuuga together, naked.

I think I must have froze on the spot, before my mother suddenly shrieked and I did the same.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" I said, attempting to cover my eyes.

"Mikan! What are you doing here?" my mom said, frantically as she covered herself up with a blanket.

"Nothing! I mean... I just... um, I'll leave you two for a moment."

I couldn't get out there fast enough. I stumbled for the door, and waited outside, while trying to regain composure. They weren't having sex or anything, but they were cuddled up together, with a blanket barely covering them. But still, I've never walked in on anyone in a... compromising position. I don't think I could ever look Mr. Hyuuga straight in the eye ever again.

After a few moments, my mom opened the door (fully clothed, thank God) and let me in. Mr. Hyuuga was in the kitchen, and looked about ready to leave.

"I am so sorry," I apologized. "I really didn't mean to um... interrupt."

He smiled reassuringly at me. "It's okay, Mikan. I'm sorry you had to, er, see that. Well, I guess I better get going now."

I blushed immensely, as he gave my mom a quick peck on the forehead. And smiled awkwardly at me before leaving.

"Mikan," my mom said, "I am so sorry you had to walk in on us like that. I didn't—"

"Mom," I interrupted, "it's okay. I should have called, and can we please just pretend it never happened?"

She sighed in relief. "Okay. Are you hungry?"

We decided to just order take-out for the night, and sat in front of the t.v. to watch re-runs of Friends, which was what we always did back in our old home. I felt safe, again.

"So," my mom said, as she scarfed down her noodles, "what's the surprise visit for?"

I cringed, trying not to remember the incident this afternoon. "I just really wanted to talk."

"About?"

"Everything."

It was now that I looked at my mom that I realized that I missed her. This year had been so busy for the both of us, that we rarely did anything together anymore, unlike what we used to do before. I suddenly felt like a kid again, just wanting to be in her mother's arms. So that's what I did. I leaned my head against her shoulder, and she immediately put her arm around mine, and rubbed it comfortingly.

"What's wrong?"

I shook my head. "Nothing. I just miss you."

She kissed the top of my head. "Oh honey, I miss you too. And I'm sorry for not telling you sooner about everything's that's been happening in my life. I was just scared at how you'd react. I didn't even get a chance to ask you if you're okay about all of this."

"Of course I'm okay, Mom," I said. "And yeah, I was shocked, but none of that matters if you're happy. Are you?"

She sighed, dreamily. "Yes, so much."

"Do you love him?" I asked, quietly.

"Yes."

"Does he love you?"

"Yes, he does."

I smiled up at her. "Then, I'm happy too."

I knew my mom deserved all of this in her life, after everything that she'd been through. I also knew, that it wouldn't just be the two of us any longer. So I savored this moment, we had together, because I was sure that we wouldn't be getting a lot of chances like these more often anymore.

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><p><strong>So what do you think? Ahh I was super nervous writing this. And also, since Natsume's dad doesn't have a name in the manga, it took me forever to come up with a decent one so pls don't hate me lol.<strong>

**Please leave me your reactions! Like seriously, type the first thing that comes into your mind. Haha that's all for now I hope you guys liked it! x**


	6. Chapter 6

**Yay for a new chapter! Hope you guys like it!**

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><p>I loved drawing. Or more specifically, I loved to sketch. It was one of those hobbies that I always loved doing since I was a kid, which what made me in love with art. In fact, I still kept my old sketchbooks since I was nine. But the weird thing was, I never showed them to anybody. Sure, I showed them to my mom and friends sometimes, but I never liked to flaunt them or anything. My mom always told me I could sell them or something like that, but it was just something I liked doing for myself. Like, writing in a diary.<p>

So that was why I was hesitant when my mom asked me to do a piece for her upcoming exhibit. She told me about this event for months, and I was pretty sure it was a big deal. And to top it off, I was supposed to be the centerpiece of the whole exhibit. I was sure any other person would jump to that opportunity, but I guess I was just weird like that. Just as much as I hated dancing in front of a huge crowd, I also hated showing my work to hundreds of people as well, let alone to a well-known art gallery.

"Mikan, it doesn't even have to be perfect," my mom had told me over the phone Wednesday afternoon. "That's the point of this exhibit."

"I don't know, Mom," I said. "I don't want to feel like I have to do this because I have to. Or else, I would just have a hard time getting inspiration."

"Okay, I get that. But every other artist I've contacted has turned me down, which is absurd because this is going to be one of the biggest art shows in town."

"I'll think about it, then I'll let you know, okay?"

"Thank you, honey. I love you!"

"Love you too."

I sighed staring at my blank sketchpad. I was at Anna's bakeshop the following afternoon after class, when I noticed a boy staring at me. I didn't notice him when I first came in, which was strange because he was quite hard to miss. He looked like he was about in his late teens, had blonde hair, and bright blue eyes. At first, I tried to ignore him, but I seriously didn't like the feeling of being stared at. The guy's stare wasn't really in creepy way, it was like he was trying to recognize me or something. In fact, he did look quite familiar.

I looked around me, wondering if I was the person he was really staring at, and sure enough I was the only one in that direction. I turned to the counter looking for Anna, hoping she could get me out of this situation, but a different person was at the cashier. I guess she was back in the kitchen, whipping something up. I decided to just leave, when the guy stood up and walked over to me. I panicked, not knowing what to do. What if he was a murderer or something?

I focused my attention on my sketchpad, and pretended to draw instead. I was in the middle of sketching some random lines, when I heard a voice.

"He was right. You are gorgeous."

I looked up, shocked at this statement. "Excuse me?"

He laughed. "Sorry. I didn't mean to sound creepy. Hi, I'm Ruka. I'm guessing you probably don't remember me?"

I searched around my brain trying to remember that name. It sounded familiar, and so did he. "Sorry, I don't. I'm not good with names."

He smiled. "That's fine. You used to go to our school. I'm friends with Natsume Hyuuga."

Oh so that's why he was so familiar. I remembered him now. He used to come over at Aoi and Natsume's place a few times back in high school. Although, I never really got his name or got to know him that time, since he was two years lower than I was. Plus, I barely even talked to Natsume, let alone his friends.

"Oh yeah," I said. "I remember now."

"Sorry if I looked or sounded like a freakish stalker a while ago. It's just that Natsume has talked about you quite a lot."

"Does he?" I asked, intrigued. I tried to imagine Natsume talking about me, or just talking in general, but I just couldn't. I didn't even bother to think about him anymore after that night he pissed me off. To me, he was always just a closed-of person. Like he was in his own world.

"Yeah, but I probably shouldn't have said that." He chuckled, nervously. "Anyway, um, I really just wanted to ask you about—"

"Mikan?"

I glanced behind Ruka, and saw Hotaru walk in. I texted her where I was a while ago, and I guess she was on one of her breaks, or if she was let out early or something. God, I could never keep up with her schedule. She raised an eyebrow at me, probably wondering why I was talking to some random dude.

"Hey, Hotaru. Um, this is Ruka. He goes to our high school. And uh, he's friends with Natsume."

Ruka flashed her a huge grin. "Hi." And I had to say, he looked like some kind of movie star doing that.

Hotaru just stared at him, with one eyebrow still raised.

"Well, guess I better get going," he said, undeterred. "It was nice to see you."

I just gave him a small smile, before he left the bakeshop.

"Who the hell was that?" Hotaru asked me, as she took a seat.

"He's Natsume friend," I said. "I don't really remember him that much, but I bet Aoi does."

"I don't like him," she muttered.

"Why? I thought he was nice." Although I found the whole encounter really weird.

She shrugged. "He has that overconfident, boy-next-door thing going on. It's sickening."

I just laughed. "Hey, so, you will never believe this. My mom is dating Aoi's dad."

She raised her eyebrows. "Seriously?"

"Oh yeah. We went out for dinner last Saturday, and I didn't even know until then! And also, I walked in on my mom and Mr. Hyuuga a few days ago when I went over to my mom's apartment. It was the most terrifying thing ever."

"Sounds like you had quite the week," she said, amused.

I sighed. "And also, I have to do a sketch for my mom's exhibit, which I'm not even sure I can do." Then, there's also the fact that Natsume started creeping back into my mind again after that encounter with Ruka and I can't stop thinking about him. Not that I'd admit that out loud.

"You know what I think?" Anna came up to our table carrying a tray of desserts and sat down on a chair. "I think you should try these."

The tray was filled with mini cheesecakes, each topped with whipped cream and a strawberry. And I had to admit, just looking at them made me forget my problems for a second.

"And I think you're right," I said, as I took one and popped it in my mouth. I let out a moan as I chewed. Oh man, that was so good.

"Anna, these taste amazing," I told her.

She smiled delightedly. "Really? How 'bout you, Hotaru?"

Hotaru shook her head. "No thanks. We had to dissect a cow's heart a while ago, and I still feel like throwing up."

Anna made a face. "Gross. So anyway, who was that cute guy you were talking to? He's actually been hanging out here for the past few days."

"Just some guy who goes to our high school," I said. "He's two years younger than us so I guess he's a senior now."

Anna snapped her fingers. "Oh my God, I think I know him. We had AP English together. So that was why he looked familiar when he came in here. I think his name starts with a letter R..."

"Ruka," I said.

"Right! He was on the yearbook committee too. And I remember him having this huge crush on Hotaru. He actually had a few pictures of her in his camera. I thought it was so cute."

I raised my eyebrows. "Wow, I did not know this information." I looked at Hotaru, who had a bored expression on her face, like she was used to having guys have pictures of her all the time. But then again, Hotaru was stunning. She had that mysterious look going on, with that long dark hair and deep purple eyes of hers. I remembered boys used to be afraid of her when we were kids and during high school. She always had that cold demeanor on, that some people had second thoughts when approaching her. I remembered asking her about it, and she said it didn't bother her, since she hated getting attention anyway. But I think it's that mysterious vibe she was giving, was what made her so attractive to most guys.

Anna gasped. "What if he was here because he was looking for you? I mean, he has become a regular quite lately..."

Hotaru rolled her eyes. "Not everything is a romance novel, Anna. Besides, he's just a kid."

_Just a kid. _I suddenly remembered saying the same thing to Natsume, and the way he took it. It was true he was just a teenager, but God. My mind kept going back again to that night we had sex, and one thing's for sure, he did not feel like kid.

Anna suddenly snapped her fingers in my face. "Mikan? Are you okay? You just totally dazed off."

I blinked a few times. "Sorry. I just remembered something," I mumbled.

And it seemed like no matter what, I just couldn't forget about it.

* * *

><p>"So, what do you think?"<p>

I walked around Aoi's new studio, which she saved up for, for years. Basically, she converted the shed in her backyard into a film studio. Ever since we were in high school, her mind was already set in building her own. So today was the big day that she finished putting it all together, that she invited me one Saturday morning for her "grand opening," since I was the only one free that day. And I had to say, I was totally impressed. She had all the equipment you could imagine being in a film studio. I could all tell she was proud of her work.

"Oh my God, Aoi, this is amazing," I said.

"You think?"

"Oh yeah. I can't believe you did it. I'm so proud of you."

She grinned widely at me. "Thank you. I am too."

To celebrate, Aoi decided that she would make her famous lasagna for lunch. And not that I didn't want to celebrate her accomplishment, but I was really hoping that I didn't have to step foot inside her house, because well, I really didn't want to run into Natsume anytime soon. But I didn't have time to come up with an excuse, so I just decided to stick around, and crossed my fingers. And this time, I really wished that for once, some good luck would sprinkle on me.

Things seemed to be going smoothly when I entered Aoi's house, and it was quiet, so I guessed no one was home.

"Hey, where is everybody?" I asked her, making my way to the kitchen.

"Dad's at work," Aoi said, rummaging through the cupboards for ingredients. "And Natsume, well, I'm not really sure. I spent all morning in the shed, that is now a studio, so who knows."

_Please, please, don't let him be home._ There was pause, then Aoi turned to me, with a weird look on her face.

"Hey, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure." I had to admit, I was a bit terrified of what it could be.

She hesitated. "Okay, don't take this the wrong way or anything, but has Natsume, I don't know, come on to you differently lately?"

I swear all color must have drained from my face, but Aoi was oblivious. "W-what?"

"I mean, has he made a move on you or anything?"

Oh my God. Do not fuck this up, Mikan. Good thing I was a great liar. Or so I say.

"No," I said, in my most neutral voice possible. "Why would you ask that?"

She sighed in relief. "Thank God. Well, it's just that I know he's had a huge crush on you for years."

Even if I somehow knew this for a fact, I still couldn't help the flush that crept to my cheeks. Coming from Aoi, it was as if I was getting the raw truth.

"He has?" I asked.

"You didn't notice? I mean, every time you come over he always flirts with you. And you know, it was annoying when he was just a kid. But now, he's like practically an adult, and things are different now. I'm sure it's not the same innocent crush anymore. So I was just wondering."

Well, there it was. I always thought that Aoi wasn't aware of this... thing going on with Natsume and I. So it meant that I was more terrified of what would happen if she ever found out what happened between us.

"What would you do though, if he did um... if something did happen between us?" I asked, curiously.

She cringed. "Ew, God I don't even want to think about it. This is my brother we're talking about. But I guess, I don't know. I'll be really pissed. I mean, Natsume... he's been through a lot after Mom died, and I just don't want him getting hurt or getting into any complications. And even if I love the boy to death, he's fucked up. Sometimes. But it was worse before."

I laughed nervously. "Geez, I wonder why I didn't have you as an older sister."

"Because I'm one of a kind," she winked. Well, one thing's for sure, I know where Natsume got his confidence from.

At that moment, I realized that Aoi and I never talked since that night we all went out, so we haven't exactly talked about the fact that our parents were dating each other. I wondered if she knew already. It seemed like nothing has changed in her actions towards me. She wasn't cold, or anything. But then again, why should she be? I shook off the minor paranoia in my mind.

I cleared my throat. "So Aoi. Has your dad told you about...?"

"Dating your mom?" she said, turning to me.

I shifted awkwardly in my seat. "Yeah. Are you...okay with it?"

She laughed, which surprised me. "Mikan, of course I am. Why would you think otherwise? I'm glad my dad is finally moving on, and your mom is wonderful. I couldn't have imagined a better person for him."

This actually relieved me. From what? I wasn't sure. I knew Aoi was a good person, but I think it was just the thought in the back of my mind that my mom and I were somehow intervening with their lives. I mean, if I was in either Aoi or Natsume's shoes, I wouldn't be that happy to see my dad move on from my dead mom. But Aoi was a far better person than I was, and it just made me realize how immature I handled the situation that night I found out about it.

"I'm sure Mom would be happy to hear that," I said.

"And just think, maybe I'd get a chance to be your older sister. Although, you're technically older. But you get my point."

I smiled. Maybe the possibility of having a new family wasn't so scary after all. I love Aoi, and Mr. Hyuuga was an extremely nice person. Although the thought of probably having Natsume as a step-brother... now that was terrifying.

* * *

><p>While Aoi continued on cooking, I took out my sketchbook, and randomly started sketching Aoi's kitchen counter. While I didn't have any inspiration yet, why not my friend's kitchen? It was a bit strange for me to do this in the presence of other people, since usually I always sketched when I was alone.<p>

"You're good."

I jumped slightly at the voice, making me lose hold on my pencil, causing a diagonal line across the pad. I looked up and saw Natsume hovering over me. And when I looked in those eyes, I was lost for a second. But I regained my cool, by swiftly closing my sketchpad and glaring at him.

"Was that necessary?" I hissed.

"Hey, Natsume what are you doing here?" Aoi asked, taking the lasagna out of the oven.

"I live here, last time I checked," he answered. He grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl, and took a seat beside me. Great.

Aoi rolled her eyes. "I thought you left hours ago, idiot."

"Nope, I just woke up. And I'm starving. What's all this for?"

"Well, if you must know, which I'm sure you don't, even if I've told you about this for weeks, I finished my studio."

Natsume stopped chewing his apple. "Shit. I'm sorry, I just forgot. Of course I know about it. Congratulations."

"Thanks. Do you wanna see it?"

He glanced at me. "Maybe later."

We ate Aoi's lasagna, for the next few moments in silence, and I tried my best to not be so conscious of Natsume's presence. But it was damn hard when I could tell that he kept looking my way every five seconds. Aoi, who sat across from us, seemed to be oblivious of this...tension. But I was glad when she finally spoke, so I could have a distraction.

"So Mikan, I have to confess something to you."

"What is it?" I asked, curiously.

"There is another reason why I asked you to come over."

Okay, now I felt nervous. "What?"

She grinned. "There's this film festival in my school, which is also a competition, and all film students are required to submit a piece. So, I want you to be the star of my new film."

It was unfortunate that at that moment, I took a bite of my lasagna, and it went down the wrong pipe. I coughed a few times then gulped down my glass of water. I couldn't believe it. Did I just hear her right?

"Are you okay?" Aoi, asked amused.

"Sorry," I said, still coughing. "Were you serious?"

"Of course I was! Why wouldn't I be? You'd be perfect."

I shook my head. "Okay, first of all, you've forgotten the fact that I am terrible on camera. And second, you've also forgotten that I am the most awkward person on the planet."

She waved me off. "Come on, you can't possibly think that about yourself. For one, you're gorgeous—"

"And I agree," Natsume said, then winked at me.

Aoi rolled her eyes. "...Two, the camera loves you. And I have pictures to prove it."

"I don't remember you taking my pictures," I muttered.

"That's because they're candid shots. I took them when we were in high school, when I started becoming obsessed with taking pictures. There are some pictures of the other girls too, but yours were more natural because you hated getting your picture taken, so I had to secretly take them. I was rummaging through my old files the other day, and I found these."

She took out her phone and handed them to me. There, I saw the first picture, was of me in class, reading a book. My hair was tucked into my left ear, so only that side of face was seen. I swiped through the next one, and it was me laughing, but I wasn't looking at the camera. I scrolled through most pictures, and they were mostly just me doing some random activity like eating and listening to music. The shots were good, but I honestly didn't know what made these so special. They were just photos of me.

When I was a kid, all the way to high school, I was always overcome with shyness. I was always that silent girl in the group up until I met my friends now. I remember really hating getting my pictures taken before, but now I was okay with it, but I didn't like printing them out or putting them in frames.

Beside me, I felt Natsume scoot closer to me, and looked at some pictures too. I thought he was going to blurt out some smug remark, but he just stayed silent.

"So?" Aoi asked, as I handed her back her phone. "Will you do it?"

I sighed. "I don't know Aoi. I mean, I want to help you, but I don't know if I'm going to do any helping at all. Besides, I still have to finish this sketch I haven't even started yet for my mom's exhibit. So, I don't know if I have any more free time."

"We'll only shoot on weekends! I swear, I won't take up too much of your time. So you'll do it?"

I shrugged in defeat. It seemed like I was the first person to come to for favors, nowadays. And also, Aoi was my friend, and she knew I couldn't resist her. Curse my gift of kindness.

"Yes, I guess I will."

She squealed and gave me a hug. "Yay! You're the best person, ever."

I pat her arm. "Yeah, I know."

She let go of me, and turned to Natsume. "Oh I almost forgot. I want you in my film too."

Well now I guess if I was eating more lasagna I would choke on it for sure. I slowly turned to look at him, and saw that he was glaring at Aoi.

"If you must know, I have a life too," he said.

"I'll pay you fifty bucks."

"Deal."

What? No!

Aoi clapped her hands. "Yes, this is going to be so fantastic. I've got first place in the bag for sure."

Curious, I looked up at her. "So what's it going to be about?"

She smiled, slyly. "It's going to be a surprise."

I glanced at Natsume, who just gave me a smirk. Fantastic. Looks like I had more things to look forward to.

* * *

><p><strong>Please don't forget to let me know what you think! x anddd...<strong>

**"I love your sexy faces." - Marcus Butler**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey beautiful people! So this one's a little shorter than usual but I still hope you guys enjoy itttt.**

"Okay, class. So for your homework next week, you each have to make a drawing of anything that—Harry, please sit down—as I was saying, you have to make a drawing of anything that symbolizes something important in your lives. It can be your cat, your mom, your dad, your house, anything. We'll be doing a fun little exercise next week. Okay? Class dismissed. Have a great weekend, kids."

The monsters erupted into cheers, and all filed out of the room. I smiled after them, as I fixed my things. As I was about ready to leave, I suddenly heard a knock on the door. And when I turned around to see who it was, I was shocked... shocked that I didn't fall over first.

"W-what are you doing here?" I asked Natsume, who was leaning by the door frame.

"Aoi, asked me to pick you up," he said. He then entered the classroom and started looking around.

"Why?"

He looked at me. "To shoot her video. I believe you said you'd gladly be the star of her film last week."

"More like forced," I grumbled. "Anyway, I thought we only shoot on weekends? It's only Friday."

He examined the drawings on the wall from my students. "Friday afternoon," he replied, not looking at me. "Technically a weekend already. You know my sister."

Oh did I ever. However, I wasn't able to formulate a response because I got caught up in observing him observe the artworks of my students. Every time I asked them create a project in class, I'd always tell them to put them up on the classroom walls. So that was why it looked like crayons, oil pastels and paint threw up in here. But I loved the feel of it, and the monsters did as well. And seeing Natsume now, have a look around, was just like when I let him in my apartment. This place also had a special place in my heart, that in fact, he was the first person, aside from my mom, to ever come in here. My friends never had a chance to visit me here yet, since we had different work schedules. It was as if yet again, I was handing out a part of myself to him.

And I was beginning to think he was already seeing too much.

I cleared my throat. "So um, should we go...?"

Natsume turned to me. "Yeah, come on. I'll go get my car."

I raised my eyebrows. "You have a car? "

He rolled his eyes. "What do you think, I walked here? Of course I have one."

"Right. But I brought my car with me. Why don't I just follow you to your house and—"

"It's not at my house."

I blinked at him. "What?"

"Why do you think Aoi asked me to pick you up? It's at this place a little outside of town, and she's already there. So let's just go so we can get this over with."

For some reason, the lack of enthusiasm in his tone irritated me. "Okay, but how am I supposed to go home without my car?"

He sighed. "I'll just drive you home, then you can get your car here tomorrow morning."

A car ride alone with Natsume to some place I've never heard of before? I honestly didn't know what to make of this, other than the fact that I seriously didn't want to be alone with him. This was going to be the epitome of the most awkward situations I've ever been in (excluding that moment when I walked in on my mom and Mr. Hyuuga, because THAT never happened). But just like Natsume, I also wanted to get this over with, so I just complied.

"Okay, fine. Let's go."

* * *

><p>As expected, the car ride was beyond awkward. At least for me. We didn't say anything to each other for what I think was about for half-an-hour. Then I started to wonder if Aoi really did ask him to pick me up, or he just used that as an excuse. To what? I didn't even want to think about it.<p>

I cleared my throat. "So, where is this mysterious place anyway? We've been driving for almost an hour."

"It's this place my mom, Aoi and I used to go to when we were kids," Natsume said, quietly.

Shit. Now I felt bad. "Oh. You haven't been there since?"

He just shook his head.

I wondered if for a second there he let his wall down of purpose, then put it right back up again. But I dared to ask further.

"Why did Aoi pick that place then?"

He shrugged.

I didn't know why, but for some reason, I wanted him to keep on talking. I know I've doubted if his nice side really was genuine, but then I remembered what Aoi said about him having gone through a lot of things. And okay, I can't believe I'm saying this, but he did seem pretty mature for his age. Sometimes.

"So, did Aoi tell you what her film's going to be about?" I asked, after a few moments of silence.

"No."

God, he made making conversation into such a task. But on the other hand, I was quite surprised that we were actually having a civil conversation, considering that the last time I was alone with him, things weren't so friendly. I was about to ask if we were near yet, but then he spoke up first.

"Can it be my turn to ask questions now?"

"Um yeah. Okay, go ahead."

He glanced at me and pointed at my sketchbook poking out from my bag. "You're good at drawing."

I blinked in surprise. "Sketching," I corrected, "and thank you, but that's not a question."

"Since when?"

"Since I could remember. When I was little probably a toddler, Mom told me that I would always have a pencil or a crayon in my hand and scribble or draw just about anything on any surface I could find. It used to drive her insane, scrubbing down the walls, but then she managed to train me into drawing into actual paper, and I guess I've never let go of that since."

It was weird that never in a million years I could never imagine telling this story to Natsume, and now it seemed so easy to just talk to him. When the hell did that happen?

"How come I've never seen you sketch before? And you didn't seem to have them displayed at your apartment."

Wow, he still remembered what my apartment looked like? And also, he actually payed that close attention to me all these years that he's noticed I don't sketch in public?

I tried to hide my surprise. "Um, that's because I don't do it for anyone but myself. It's just something that I do in my free time that, I don't know, makes me happy. Like writing in a diary. I prefer to keep it private."

He nodded, slowly, his eyes on the road. "I think that's a little selfish, don't you think?"

"Why?" I asked, defensively. "At least I'm not like other artists out there who just do work for fame and money. I think the art loses meaning that way."

"True, but I think it also loses its meaning when you don't share it. And I don't mean flaunt it or sell it or whatever. There's a difference between not wanting to flaunt your work and being humble. Just letting other people see it, just think, it could change someone's life, or make their day. Hell, it could even just could make them smile. But I guess you'll never know now, will you?"

"Yeah..." I said, slowly. "I guess not."

For a minute, I was silent. Mostly because I was shocked that he had a point. I've never actually seen it that way. I've always thought I was doing everyone a favor, by not being a show-off type of artist, since the world already had enough of those. But now, that I thought about it, I was an art teacher, and yet I've never shown one of my artworks to my kids. I guess that was why I couldn't get inspiration for my mom's exhibit. It's because I was inexperienced.

Natsume seemed to realize this too, as I was able to notice his self-satisfied smile, as he kept his eyes forward and drove straight ahead.

I shook my head at him. "You seriously love being right, don't you?"

He smirked. "How can you tell?"

I just rolled my eyes. Oh so now we've reach the level of friendly banter? Oh God, this was so weird.

"Did you always want to become a teacher?"

I was caught a little of guard by his question. It's just that, no one has ever asked me that question before. Neither did I think about it either. I mean, I loved teaching, but it wasn't like my childhood dream or anything.

I merely shrugged in reply. "I guess."

He arched his brow. "Whoa, calm down. You don't have to be so enthusiastic about it."

I gave him a look. "Okay, what do you want me to say?"

"The truth."

I sighed. "Well, honestly, I'm not really sure. Right after graduating, it was the first job that I landed in. It's good pay, and I love working with kids. So, I'm not really complaining."

"You don't want anything more?"

I thought back to the time when I was in high school wherein I envisioned my own art gallery. I would be the simple kind of art, but never heard of artists. The undiscovered gems. But once I got into college, I realized how difficult that was to create, because even I for one didn't like sharing my work. So I put that thought aside and focused on getting my degree. And when I was offered the job at my university, I didn't think twice about taking that opportunity. It wasn't what I always wanted to do, but I loved it nonetheless.

"No," I replied. "I couldn't ask for anything more than this."

We finally pulled over to am empty grassy field, and it was beautiful. It was like one those fields where I would love to just run around in. We both got out of the car as I watched scattered around the grass, little yellow daisies, that looked absolutely breathtaking dancing in the wind. Beside me, I noticed Natsume grew silent. This must be hard for him, coming back here. But then I wondered, he could have just not went if he wasn't ready.

All thoughts went out of my head, when I heard Aoi's voice.

"Well fucking finally!" she said, exasperatedly as she walked towards us. "What took you so long? It literally takes only fifteen minutes to get here."

"What?" I said, confused and looked at Natsume. Gone was his blank expression and was replaced with a slight smirk. He didn't even look guilty.

"We took a little detour," he answered.

"God, you are such an idiot," Aoi said. "Now come on. We have to film before sunset."

She walked ahead, and behind her, Natsume followed, while I stood there shocked. He paused, then glanced at me.

"Coming, sweetheart?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Yeah. I am"

The thing was, I thought I was pissed that he totally delayed our travel time here. But I wasn't. For some reason, I was sort of glad we had that conversation earlier. It made me realize that he wasn't such a bad guy after all. But I don't think that meant that we were actually friends now, doesn't it?

* * *

><p>I was beyond exhausted. We spent the rest of the afternoon filming, and since I wasn't used to a camera being pointed at me, Aoi had to take several takes of me, just staring at the camera with a blank expression, and literally just walking around the fiend. And also there was the fact that Natsume was watching me the whole time, with an amused expression on his face. He didn't get some camera time yet, but Aoi made him her assistant at the moment, which meant that from time to time he actually did the filming, which I wasn't so thrilled about earlier. And I think that was when I messed up the most, when it was his turn to film me while Aoi directed him. Meanwhile, Aoi still refused to tell us about the subject of her short film, which is pretty scary if you ask me because who knows what she'd end up doing with all this footage.<p>

I was already excited about going home after wrapping up for the day, until I remembered I had to get a ride from Natsume. I had no idea where we both stood in after that somewhat personal conversation in his car earlier. And I didn't know whether or not I actually wanted any kind of relationship with him, whatsoever. He was just so damn unpredictable sometimes. One minute he's this smart, sensitive guy, and the next he's a complete arrogant cockhead.

So that was why my guard was up, when we both got in the car later that day.

"Please, don't take any detours this time," I said, as we were near into the city.

His lips tugged slightly to the side. "Why not? I think I'd like to continue our conversation earlier."

I shook my head. "I don't think so, Hyuuga. I think you've already seen enough."

"Oh I've seen everything, alright," he muttered under his breath.

I blushed, and crossed my arms over my chest as I looked out the window. See what I mean? Well, two can play at that game.

"Okay," I said, after a while. "Let's talk. But this time, I ask the questions."

"I believe it was my turn."

"Offer's about to expire."

"Fine."

"Am I good in bed?"

The car suddenly pulled to a stop, and I noticed we almost ran over a red light. I smirked, triumphantly. So this was how it felt like. I had to remember that I was the older one, after all. I wasn't going to let some eighteen-year old boy have this effect on me.

Natsume glanced at me. "What?"

"You heard me," I said, nonchalantly.

I noticed his hands grip the steering wheel tightly. "Yes."

I blinked a few times, wondering if I heard him right. Well, of course I didn't want to hear a "no." But I was sort of not expecting that he'd answer so frankly. I tried to hide my surprise and kept my composure up.

I nodded, slowly. "Hm. Do you want me to answer that question too?"

At that moment, the light turned green, and we went forward abruptly. I knew what Aoi meant about the place where we filmed being not too far from the city. My apartment was already five minutes away.

I noticed Natsume shift slightly in his seat. "What question?"

"I think you know exactly what question I'm talking about." I leaned a little close to him. "Do you want to know if you're good in bed?"

He suddenly stepped on the gas, and the next thing I knew we were already pulling up to the street where my building was. I didn't get out of the car yet until he answered.

I waited in my seat, and he suddenly leaned towards me, his arm brushed against my stomach. I held my breath for a second, thinking that he might actually kiss me, but then I heard a click, and I saw that he unlocked the passenger door.

I looked at him confusedly, and he smirked at me. "I don't need you to answer that question, sweetheart. I know I'm great in bed." He opened the door. "Good night, Mikan. Sweet dreams."

I got out of his car, slightly in a daze, and watched him drive away. Holy mother of shitballs. He'd done it again. And for a minute there I actually thought I got the best of him. But now, all I felt was frustrated. Sexually frustrated, if I may add.

I shook my head, getting out of my daze. No. This thing with Natsume, whatever it was, could not go on further. But I had no idea how I was going to avoid him considering that I had to see him every weekend. Oh and not to mention he's the son of my mother's boyfriend. I guess I just had to accept the fact that I was out of luck this time.

* * *

><p><strong>Ahhh so sorry if it was short. But I got some requests for MxN moments so here's a little sumthin. Don't forget to let me know what you think, loves. x<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey loves, hope you enjoy this chapter. *wink* *wink***

* * *

><p>I stared at the blank page in front of me. I was seated at my usual spot in my apartment, by the living room window, trying to get inspiration. So far, I've got nothing. It was a Saturday morning, the following day, and Aoi cancelled our filming because she had midterms this week. So obviously I felt relieved because I honestly didn't feel like standing in front of a camera for hours. And also, I didn't want to face Natsume after last night. Oh and not to mention the fact that my car was still at school, which I had every intention of getting when I became less lazy. So I decided to just work on this piece for Mom's art show, which was a month away. I knew that seemed like a long time, but to an artist, especially like me, a month is only equal to a day. Besides, by now I should have some sort of idea of what I wanted to sketch already, but my mind was blank. My mom didn't want to tell me the theme, because she wanted me to sketch whatever I wanted to.<p>

I took a sip of my coffee, as I stared out the window and looked down. At that moment, I saw a black minivan pull over in front of my building, and out came Hotaru. I stopped what I was doing, and tried to get a better look of whoever was in the car, but he or she didn't get out, however Hotaru did give that person a wave before she went inside and the car drove away. Confused, I grabbed my phone and called her.

"Hey," she answered, her voice a little groggy.

"Hey, I just saw you come in through my window. Who dropped you off?"

"Just someone from my class, I pulled an all-nighter last night."

"All-nighter, huh?" I asked, suspiciously. "What did you do?"

"Jesus, when did you become such a mom?" She sighed. "Right, I'm going to your place."

She hung up, then a few seconds later, I heard a knock on the door.

"That was fast."

Hotaru went inside my apartment right away and plopped on the couch. "God, I'm so tired."

I sat beside her. "What happened to you?"

Her head was leaned back, and her eyes closed. "I told you, I pulled an all-nighter, studying for midterms."

"So, who dropped you off?"

"A friend of mine." She looked at me. "So, what's been going on with you?"

"Well, I'm actually starring in Aoi's film for a film festival at her school. With Natsume."

She sat up. "Really."

I sighed. "I don't know. It's not that bad, really. Natsume and I have been getting along sort of better lately."

Hotaru just stared at me.

"What?"

She shook her head. "Have you been sleeping with him?"

"What? No! God no. We're um... I don't know, sort of friends."

I guess I really didn't know what to call this relationship we had. I mean, basing from our past conversations, I had to say we were somewhat friends despite the fact that he openly flirts with me, and my failed attempt at doing the same to him.

"What happened to staying away?"

"Well, Hotaru I don't think I could do that given the fact that my mother is dating his dad. Besides, I think being civil towards each other is better than me having to avoid him all the time, and thinking about that night. It's less stressful."

"Hm, well, you know what they say. Friendship is the foundation of everything. It can lead into relationships, marriage or just friends with benefits."

I rolled my eyes. "Shut up. Who says that?"

"I do. But seriously. You gotta be careful, Mikan. I mean, if you get into some kind of relationship with this dude, then—"

"Don't you think I know that? I already told you how much I don't want complications in my life. Look, I can handle this, okay? I won't let a teenage boy get under my skin."

* * *

><p>The next morning, I woke up to someone knocking on my door. I wondered if it was Hotaru again, but when I opened it, I was surprised to see Natsume standing there.<p>

"Natsume, what are you doing here?"

He didn't say anything, as he proceeded inside my apartment.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

We stared at each other for a moment, before he walked towards me and pinned me against the wall. And when I stared into those eyes, I knew that I was done for. He then lowered his head and pressed his lips against mine, pulling me closer. He kissed me slowly at first, then more hungrily as his hands traveled on my back. I let out a moan in response as my I put my arms around his neck and pulled him even closer, our tongues teasing each other. I then felt the bulge in his pants against my core which ached with desire. Oh my God, I wanted him so badly.

As if reading my mind, I felt his hands slide down to waist, then to my thighs and suddenly lifted me up. I wrapped my legs tightly around his waist, and I felt him carry me to the couch. I laid on my back as he began kissing down my neck. I then gently tugged the hem of his shirt, and he pulled away from me at the moment to remove it then went back to my lips. I arched my body in response, loving the feel of his lips against mine, and he let out a groan. In one swift move, he removed my top and started to feast on my breasts. I felt him get harder as he moved down on my body kissing every inch of it, until he parted my legs.

I gasped, and sat up quickly, my heart pounding hard in my chest. I panted, looking around my bed. My sheets were at my feet, and I was sweating. Oh my God. Did I just have an almost-wet-dream about Natsume? I felt an ache in between my legs, it felt so real. Sunlight was already seeping through my curtains, and I saw from my clock that it was only seven in the morning. Well, there was no use in going back to sleep now. I got out of bed and opted for a cold shower, hoping it would calm me down.

As the cold water touched my skin, all I could think about was Natsume's hands all over my body in that dream. The stupid thing was, I so wanted it to be real, because I thought it was. Flashbacks of that night suddenly popped into my head, and I wanted to kick myself so badly for even thinking about it. Even if he wasn't here, Natsume was still messing with my mind.

After showering I wasn't in a mood to eat breakfast yet, so I just crawled back into bed wanting to fall asleep again. But just as I was getting comfy, my phone rang.

I groaned grabbing fishing for it in my bed sheets. I prayed that it wouldn't be Natsume because I wasn't sure how I could handle that right now. And for once, the universe actually listened to me.

"Mom?"

"Hi honey!" she said, chirpily. "I'm surprised that you're actually awake at this time."

"Yeah well..."

"So listen, Aden is actually inviting us over to their house later tonight for dinner. It's not going to be fancy or anything, just casual dinner since last time um, didn't go so smoothly. And besides their whole family is free tonight, and I know you're close friends with Aoi and Natsume already, but I think it would be nice to actually bond properly this time."

My head fell back against the pillows. Great just what I needed. After that stupid dream, I wasn't sure how I was going to face Natsume this time even if nothing really happened, just my mind playing tricks on me. But could I ever say no to my mom?

"Um, yeah. Sure I'll be there."

"Fantastic. I guess I'll just see you at their house later?"

"Yeah, sure. Love you, bye."

I then realized that I had lied to Hotaru. It was too late. I already let Natsume get under my skin.

* * *

><p>Here I was again, doing my mental prep talk in my car outside the Hyuuga's household. I was the last person to arrive, since I already saw my mom's car parked in the driveway. Plus, Aoi had been texting me for the past hour with 'where are you' texts, to which I didn't answer to. I didn't mean to be terrible and bitchy, it was just that time of month. Yep, maybe that was why my hormones were skyrocketing. But I was so nervous for some reason, because it seemed like my mom wanted the type of bonding 'as a family.' I wondered if she was withholding vital information from me again, but considering what happened last time, I'm sure she wouldn't let me be the last to know again, would she?<p>

_Oh dear God please don't let my mother be engaged yet._

I took a deep breath, and got out of my car. I definitely had an urge to drive back to my apartment since I really didn't feel like facing people today. Wait don't I always feel that way? I walked up to the Hyuugas' doorway and rang the doorbell. And guess who answered the door for me? Natsume, of course, because I was just lucky like that.

"Hey, you're here," he said.

I just stared at him, my eyes trailing to his broad shoulders where his shirt clung on tightly to him. I was beginning to stare down his body, when he cleared his throat, an eyebrow raised.

Great. Two seconds in, and I was already making a fool of myself. God, I can't believe he caught me checking him out. But damn, he did look good though, as usual. Fuck my hormones.

"Right," I said, perkily. "I'm here. I'm not late or anything am I?"

"We were just about to eat. Come on."

I walked towards the living room, and found my mom and Mr. Hyuuga with Aoi laughing. My mom's face was pink as it always was when she was laughing so hard. Wow, I hadn't seen her laugh like that in ages.

I cleared my throat, and they noticed my presence in the room. My mom walked towards me and gave me a hug. "I'm so glad you could make it, Mikan."

"Of course," I replied, rubbing her back. I immediately checked if she had a ring on already, and I was relieved that her hand was ring-less, for now I guess. I looked over to Mr. Hyuuga, and he gave me a warm smile. To be honest, it was still awkward for me facing him again after that encounter a few weeks ago.

"Mikan! You're here!" Aoi hugged me next.

"Good to see you too, Aoi. How's the studying going?"

"Ugh, I've been dying. But I can't wait to get it over with so we can go back to filming. I've already told your mom by the way and showed her some of the shots."

"Which were beautiful," Mom said. "Mikan, you didn't tell me you're in Aoi's film."

"Well, it all happened kinda fast," I said.

"Anyway!" Aoi said, "Now that Mikan's here, I think it's time that you all taste what I cooked tonight."

Aoi went into the kitchen while the rest of us sat down in the dining room. I sat beside my mom, and Natsume sat across from me. Great. It's just one dinner. I was sure I could sit through a few minutes not making eye-contact, right?

At that moment, Aoi came right back into the room, setting down the casserole dish on the table.

"Oh wow, that looks good, Aoi," Mom said, taking a whiff. "Is that tuna casserole?"

"Yep, it's one of my specialties. Right, Dad?"

"Definitely," Mr. Hyuuga answered.

"Okay, Yuka," Aoi said, "I think you should get a taste first."

Wow, since when did Aoi get to first-name-basis with my mom?

"Oh my goodness," Mom said, after taking a bite. "This is fantastic. Aoi, dear, I need the recipe for this!"

Aoi beamed. "I'm so glad you like it. No problem, I'll give it to you later."

Okay, this was getting a little weird for me. It wasn't like the two of them met just now. My mom had known Aoi for quite some time since we've been friends since high school. But the three of us have never actually hung-out together. So I definitely didn't know how to feel that they were both hitting it off so well.

For the rest of dinner, I barely said anything as my mom, Aoi and Mr. Hyuuga were chatting away. I think I even picked at my food, a little. God, I was such an eight-year old. Meanwhile, I managed to not make eye-contact with Natsume, who also stayed silent throughout dinner. But I could definitely feel his stare on me.

So I was definitely relieved when everyone was done eating. I volunteered to do the dishes, since it was Aoi who cooked, and none of them didn't try to stop to me. Not that I was complaining, because I just really needed a break from all this. And what better way to do that than washing the dishes.

"Hey."

I jumped, dropping the plate I was scrubbing with soap in the sink. It didn't break, thank God. I glanced beside me and saw Natsume his lower back against the counter, and his arms crossed over his chest, watching me. I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to ignore that brooding stare.

"Really?"

He smirked. "Do you need some help?"

"Actually, yes I do. Now why don't you make yourself useful by wiping the other dishes? Or is that too hard for you?"

He grabbed a towel from the counter and grinned at me. "Nothing's too hard for me, sweetheart."

Jesus. Okay, this was a bad idea. Maybe I should just ditch him and go home. Although, I was sure my mom wouldn't be too happy about that, even if she barely spoke to me tonight.

"So, I get that you're not thrilled to be here," he said.

I glanced at him, wondering if he was offended in some way. He shook his head at me when I didn't answer. "No, it's okay. I for one, am bored as fuck watching my sister blab away like she always does."

I rinsed a plate, and handed it to him. "Well, it's not that I'm not thrilled, I just... I don't know. It's weird."

"Tell me about it," he muttered.

"I'm just not used to these type of things. My mom's not really that close with her own family anymore, so we usually just spend holidays with them because they feel obligated to invite us. But we sometimes don't go, since those events are such huge letdowns all the time. So it's literally always been my mom and I, you know? And I've always been okay with that."

"Is that why you were so on edge the whole time your mom and Aoi have been talking?"

Wow, so he'd been really watching me. I focused my attention on scrubbing a plate. "I wasn't on edge." I sighed and looked at him. "Okay, maybe I was. But come on, I love Aoi and all and I know she's a really chatty person, but it was literally just the two of them talking the whole time."

"Well, I've got nothing to say about my sister, but give your mom a break. I'm sure she's just pretty excited about all of this happening."

"I Know that." I paused, and handed over the last plate to him. "So, everything's fine between you and your dad?"

His jaw tensed a little bit. "Yeah. It's not like I can do anything about it. It's his life."

He was silent after that, and I didn't say anything further as we finished cleaning up. As I put the last dish away, I heard Natsume clear his throat. I looked at him questioningly. He was again leaning against the counter, watching me.

"So, I had this dream last night," he said.

My eyes widened slightly, as I crossed my arms over my chest. I hope it wasn't what I think it was. "Really."

He nodded, now looking at the ground. "It was pretty interesting."

I felt my cheeks flush. Oh God, he probably had the same dream I had. How the hell was that even possible?

"How was it interesting?" I asked, carefully.

He smirked at me. "For starters, you were in it."

I cleared my throat. "Oh."

"You didn't happen to have the same dream, did you?"

"How would I know? I don't even know what you're talking about." I sounded pretty convincing, if I do say so myself. But by the look on Natsume's face, I was sure he didn't believe me one bit. He decided to humor me anyway.

"Hm, do you want me to tell you?"

How the hell was I supposed to answer to that? Suddenly, an idea popped in my head. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" he asked, confusedly.

"I think my mom just called me or something," I said, quickly. "I better go and see what she wants."

With that, I quickly fled the kitchen and went into the living room, where my mom, Mr. Hyuuga, and Aoi were still talking.

"Hey, honey, what took you so long?" Mom asked me.

"Um, there were a lot of dishes."

"But didn't Natsume help you out?" Aoi said.

"'Course I did." Natsume entered the room, gave me a wink and sat down on the couch. "What were we talking about here?"

Mr. Hyuuga spoke up. "Actually, I have something to say."

I looked at him, my eyes widening. Oh God. Was he going to propose? Already? But they've only been dating for two months! Aoi and Natsume seemed to have been in shock too, because I literally felt the room grow silent. I looked at my mom, who was frozen as well, her mouth falling open.

I braced myself for whatever was about to happen next, because I didn't know if I was going to be able to handle it.

* * *

><p><strong>LOL. I'm sorry for ending it here, but I think it's just more exciting that way haha. Anyway, I hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter! If you want more MxN moments like that little scene that wasn't even real let me know. And don't forget to let me know what you think! Love youuu.<strong>


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